Project Manning
by Tengoko
Summary: 2nd in the Storm Series. 13 years have passed and Reno and Tifa are married with two children. But don't be fooled. A troubled teen, a deranged scientist, and a struggling romance. All leads to an unavoidable tragedy...but for who?
1. Longest Wait

**Tengoko: Da da da DAAA! The sequel is here. I was just so excited about it that I decided that, even though I just finished the other story, I just had to get the sequel up. I hope you enjoy it just as much as the other story. Read and Review.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own FF7  
Rated M for language and romance**

**Chapter 1: Longest Wait**

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Reno couldn't keep still. He continuously paced the room, occasionally checking his watch, and muttering under his breath. His blue eyes were wide and his hands were shaking uncontrollably. How long do these things take? He knew it wouldn't be over quickly, but with each minute, his nerves grew more uneasy.

It had been nearly four hours since she told him it was time. He had done all he could do to make her comfortable. He had fluffed her pillows, made her tea, made sure her room was just the right temperature. She had only laughed at him. Still, she let him know in her own way that she appreciated his efforts, but eventually all she wanted from him was to lie down next to her and ease her fears.

Not long after, Shera and Cid arrived and Reno had been hurried from the room. He didn't understand why he wasn't allowed to witness the birth and had thought that the archaic form of delivery had been done away with. At any rate, he had tried to sit next to the door, but when the contractions became more painful for her, and her screams began filling the hallway, Reno found that he couldn't take it anymore.

A puff of smoke rose in front of him, and he stopped walking to look down at Cid Highwind. The pilot sat leisurely on the couch, his arm draped over the back, and his other hand holding the cigarette. Cid returned the stare with friendly eyes and an encouraging smile.

He knew how Reno felt. It hadn't been too long ago that Shera had given birth to his first bundle of joy. He had been a wreck of nerves as well, and at that time, it had been Vincent and Reno who were there, calm as could be. If it hadn't been for them, he surely would have broken a few expensive vases, punched a few holes through the wall, and flipped the couch over.

He grabbed Reno by the back of his untucked shirt and pulled him onto the couch. "You need to relax," he told him. Then, as though ill-fated, a loud, painful scream echoed throughout the house and Reno shot back up to his feet, his face turning pale. Cid shook his head. "She'll be fine, you know. Women have been doing this kind of thing for years."

Reno nodded, though he looked as though he would like nothing more than to shoot himself in the gut. Cid pulled him back down and handed him a cigarette. There was a moment where Reno just stared at it, but then he looked up at Cid disdainfully and scowled. "You know that I've been trying to quit," he snapped.

"Yes, and I've been trying to disabuse you of the ridiculous attempt. Now, take the damn cigarette before I have to shove it in you damn mouth. Trust me. You'll thank me for it later."

Reno hesitantly took it and expertly twisted it through his fingers. It had been a long time since he had held one, and it certainly did feel like home. But, what would she say if she found out he had been smoking while she was upstairs in ultimate agony. No, he had no right to think he was going through hell when his wife was having the worse pain of her life.

"So, what are you going to name the baby?" Cid asked, trying to distract Reno.

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "It it's a girl, I know Tifa likes the name, Lena Mae. If it's a boy, we've been considering Hayden or Wesley."

"Interesting," Cid mused. "Hell of a lot more interesting than Sally. But, shit, Shera insisted. Said it was a family name or some crap like that. But, next one, I just might have to steal one of the names you don't use."

"What if we have triplets?" Reno joked.

"Then you deserve all the names. I certainly won't begrudge you, or envy you for that matter."

Another scream and Reno's face flushed. Cid groaned and grabbed his glass of bourbon. Shifting slightly, he nudged Reno with the tip of his shoe and held his drink out to him. Reno merely shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. It was a nervous habit of his; they'd all come to realize this over time.

Actually, it was quite funny at first, because Reno had cut his hair. Sure, it was beginning to grow back now, but watching him try to run his fingers through his pony tail when he didn't have one was quite amusing for all parties present.

"This is taking too long," he complained, as another scream came. "It shouldn't be taking this long."

"It hasn't been that long," Cid said, leaning forward.

"Oh, and you are an expert now?" he asked derisively.

"No, but I am trying to point out that I do know what it's like to be in your position, and I damn well don't appreciate the sarcasm. In case you have forgotten, I have been through this before."

"Sorry," Reno said quietly.

"Don't be," Cid said, taking another drag. "This isn't easy for you, I know it. But, you must believe me when I say, the wait will be worth it. When I held Sally in my arms for the first time…you know…I can't even describe it. You'll feel the same way too, and all this, the bad part, you'll forget all about it."

Reno was about to speak again, but the doorbell rang, and he turned his attention to the door. Cid put his hand on his shoulder and stood up to get it. As soon as the door opened, Yuffie burst into the room and then headed straight for the stairs. Vincent came in a bit slower and stood next to the couch.

"Reno," he said, nodding his hello. "How are you doing?"

"How the hell do you think I'm doing?" he asked.

Vincent knew. He too had gone through it, though it should be said that he wasn't quite like Reno or Cid when Yuffie was giving birth. In fact, he merely just stood by his fireplace, his elbow resting on the mantle, while he sipped a glass of whiskey and waited for the midwife to come down and tell him the happy news. But then, that's just the type of man that Vincent was.

"You know, there's nothing a good glass of brandy wouldn't cure. Cid, why don't you get him one. I think it'll help."

"Unless this glass of brandy magically makes Tifa have this baby any faster, then I want nothing to do with it."

"Damn, you won't smoke, you won't drink," Cid mused. "Tifa's damned well turned him into a pansy."

"Where is your Sally, by the way?" Vincent asked, looking at Cid.

"With Shera's parents. They just love her so it wasn't a problem or anything. And what about Veronica?"

"With her grandfather at the pagoda," Vincent muttered. It was no secret that Vin and Yuffie's divine father had their disputes. Nobody quite knew why the two didn't click, but whatever the reason, there was no love lost between the two of them.

There was another loud scream, followed by a few more. Reno lurched and dropped the unlit cigarette to the ground. Vincent grabbed his shoulder to keep him from following it and pushed him back. "Reno, she'll be fine," he assured him.

"Tifa," he whispered, putting his face in his hand.

Vincent sat down next to him and patted him on the back. Other than that, he did nothing else to comfort him, but Reno wasn't paying any attention to him anyway. All he could focus on was the groans and screams that he knew his wife was trying to conceal for his benefit.

"I want this to be done," he said.

"That's completely understandable," Vincent replied, as he looked up at Cid and took the glass of brandy that was being offered. "Here, drink this," he said, nudging it in Reno's direction. He forced it into Reno's hand and said, "It really does help."

Reno put the glass to his lips, but footsteps on the stairs had him bringing it down quickly. He stood up just as Shera turned the corner and came into the living room smiling. At first she said nothing, just stood in front of Reno. Cid came behind her, put his hands on her shoulder, and asked, "Well, what happened?"

"Good news, Reno," she said softly. "You have a beautiful baby boy."

Reno let out a sigh of relief, and as his fear dissipated, joy and pride filled his lungs and all he could do was shout, "YES!" He instantly grabbed Shera and hugged her so tightly that Cid was sure that her eyes actually bugled. Cid pried Reno's hands off of his wife, but gasped as Reno hugged him next. "I have a boy!" he shouted.

"I…heard," he grunted.

"Don't you want to go and see him?" Vincent asked.

"Yes! Of course!" Reno exclaimed as he raced for the stairs.

Their bedroom was at the end of the hallway, and Reno slowed his pace as he approached the door. Reno pushed it open and was instantly greeted with a dim, golden light that seemed to add warmth to the room. "And here's Reno," Yuffie said, putting her arm on the exhausted Tifa. "I told you there was no need for me to go get him."

Tifa opened her eyes and looked at her husband standing at the door. She wore a tired smile and her eyes were heavy lidded. She sat up a bit, pushing herself with one arm while the other held her newborn securely against her. "Come here, Reno," she said so quietly that he could barely hear.

He slowly walked towards the bed and sat on the edge of it, putting his arm around his beautiful wife. For the first time, his eyes looked upon the face of his son. He was wrapped in blankets and was staring up at his father with, what Reno could have sworn, was a mischievous glint in his sharp, blue eyes. Reno chuckled as his hand adjusted the blanket so he could see the baby better.

"He's perfect," he said, kissing Tifa on the forehead.

"He's got your eyes," she said, looking at her son with the utmost motherly affection.

"Yes, but everything else is yours."

"Do you want to hold him?" she asked.

"You don't mind?" He sat up straighter.

"Well, you are the father, Reno. I think it's perfectly within reason to let you hold him."

"I don't know," Yuffie began, looking at the baby with mock confusion. "I think you should hold out for the blood test."

Reno chuckled just as Tifa handed him the baby. Cid was right. There were no words to describe what Reno was feeling at that precise moment. All he could do was look down at his son with the widest smile he had ever smiled. It was just unbelievable. Reno, the man who once killed hundreds of people, the man who had been a Turk, was now a father.

"Tifa," he looked up at her with tears in his eyes. "I never thought that I would be…"

"Reno," she whispered, putting her hand on his knee. "I know."

Holding the baby against him, he leaned over Tifa and pressed his lips softly to hers. He couldn't be any happier than he felt right now. His son was in his arms, his wife was beside him. He had a family, something he had always wanted for as long as he could remember.

"I love you," he said.

"You'd better after all I just went through," she teased. "Reno, support his head."

"I am," he defended, adjusting his hand.

"Good…now take him downstairs. I know Cid and Vin are dying to see him."

"Yes ma'am," he said, almost sarcastically, but still affectionately. "Now, get some rest, babe. You deserve it," he leaned down again and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Besides, who else is going to clean and cook my meals."

"Reno!" she yelled. "You are lucky you are holding my son or I would hit you so hard."

"I'm only kidding, Tifa," he smiled. "Though, speaking of our son, what exactly are we going to call him?"

"Wesley," she answered with confidence. "Yes…Wesley will be just fine."


	2. Sun After the Storm

**Tengoko: Alright, I didn't know Reno's last name. I asked around, but it seemed nobody knew. So, I remember a long time ago, reading a story with him and they mentioned a last name. I'm going to assume the person knew what they were talking about and if any of you actually do know, feel free to correct me. R&R**

**BTW: This chapter has a lemon, but it's not detailed at all. I didn't mark it off, because it really is that soft.**

**Disclaimer: It's here, what more do they want.  
Rated M for language and Romance.**

**Chapter 2: Sun After the Storm**

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_"And in other news today, Head of Urban Development, Reno Storm, has officially announced that he will be running against president Rufus Shinra in the upcoming election. Earlier, Rufus Shinra said that they had discussed the possibility of him joining the race, and despite rumors of the contrary, the two continue to be close friends. What do you think of that, Clark?"_

_The other news reporter chuckled good humouredly before looking directly into the camera. "I suppose Rufus Shinra hasn't heard then, that the first polls are in. It seems that Reno Storm is leading the race by thirty-six percent. Now, is that all that shocking?"_

_"I would think not," the other news reporter laughed. "Considering what Reno Storm has done for not only Midgar, but other cities as well, it is nosurprise that he has the popular vote."_

"Turn that off, babe," Reno said, as he walked into the living room. "I'm sick of hearing about it."

Tifa laughed and grabbed the remote. "Then you shouldn't have decided to run," she suggested. "Because now you'll never hear the end of it." She moved over on the couch so he could sit next to her. Reno happily collapsed onto the soft cushions and stretched his body, resting his head on her lap. "Are you okay?" she asked, running her hands through his soft, red hair.

"I'm just tired," he said, closing his eyes. "Work's been wearing me out, I guess I'm not used to working with papers, monitoring other people, and being in all other ways, a suit."

"But, it is a comfort to me knowing that you aren't being shot at anymore."

"How do you know I'm not being shot at?" he asked jokingly. Tifa yanked at his ponytail and his eyes flashed open, looking straight into her warm, wine-colored orbs. She looked stern and worried, and immediately he regretted his ill-humored joke. "I'm not serious, babe," he said, putting his hand to her cheek.

"You know not to joke around about things like that?" she said, her own eyes looking away. "I worry about you, Re. Everyday, when you go to work 'til the moment you walk in through the door."

"You shouldn't," he said calmly.

"I can't help it!" she exclaimed, making Reno groan and sit up. "Can you blame me? You being what you were."

"Tifa," he said quietly. "I don't want to get into this with you."

"Of course you don't, Reno," she snapped. "You never do. So why don't you go upstairs and hide like you always do when things get to damned real around here?"

He turned to face her with an unreadable expression. "I resent that," he muttered. "Besides, what's the point of getting uptight? You do that well enough for the both of us." She raised her hand to slap him, but he grabbed her wrist and held it tight. "Stop!" he ordered. "I'm not putting up with this today, not today."

Tifa pulled her hand away from him so she could wipe away a tear. Suddenly, before she knew it, she had flung herself into his arms and was crying uncontrollably. "I'm so sorry, Reno. It's just…have you ever wondered what life would be like if it had never happened?" He didn't answer. "He'd be turning eight years old this year."

"I know," Reno said softly. He rested his chin on the top of her head and closed his eyes. It was harder for him to think about it than she realized. He never really stopped blaming himself for it, and he wasn't sure that he ever would.

It happened seven years ago. He was still a Turk then, they all were. It was before Rude and Elena had their baby, before Tseng married, and just when he and Rufus had proposed the plan to rebuild Sector Seven. The Turks got wind of a small militaristic group that had been using the ruins as their base, and Rufus publicly announced that they would be dealt with accordingly. Unfortunately, it wasn't Rufus that had to pay for his words.

He had been off duty with Tifa, Wesley, then six years old, and Hayden, who had just turned one. They had gone to sector one, but looking back, Reno couldn't remember why. It was unimportant now anyway. All he remembered was that Hayden was being fussy that day, and Wesley kept complaining about walking. He, at that point, had been carrying Hayden, but had given him to Tifa so he could pick Wesley up. In the next instant, there was a gunshot, and Tifa was on the ground.

The next few days were hell. The doctors assured Reno that Tifa would survive the injury, the bullet had missed her lung. Hayden hadn't been so lucky, and he spent exactly five days in the intensive care unit.

The day he died, Cid and Vincent were there, and Tifa had just been released. Reno was standing by his wife who was sitting in one of the waiting room chairs. Cid sat next to her, and Vincent stood behind her. Rude had left to go get Reno and Cid some coffee, and the other Turks were searching for the perpetrators.

When Rude came back, he told Reno that Elena and Tseng had found them, and they were all in custody. He remembered Tifa's sigh and then her tears. For the first time in five days, she smiled, happy that the man who injured her son would be punished accordingly. But, that happiness was short lived.

Reno didn't care to remember much after that. He remembered the doctor coming up to them, but he couldn't recall what he looked or sounded like. He remembered how is heart tightened painfully in his chest and his mind became numb, but he didn't remember the words that had triggered this reaction. He remembered holding Tifa as she sobbed and cried, but couldn't remember if he cried himself.

"Reno," she said, snapping him back to the present. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking about him," he admitted. "Just wondering what he would look like now, what he'd be like. Would he have been like you or like me? Or would he have been like his older brother? I think that's the part that I hate the most. Not being able to watch him grow up, become a man."

"It's not your fault," Tifa told him. It was no secret to her that he took responsibility for the death of their son. In the following weeks after Hayden's death, Reno isolated himself, refusing to talk about it, acknowledge that it had even happened. He was even the same at the funeral, vacant and distant.

It wasn't until the trial, when Reno saw for the first time the face of the man who had killed his son that he lost it. It was a good thing that Rude had been there, had stopped him from doing something stupid, and had taken him from the court room. Tifa had gone with him, and in that time, Reno was muttering things like 'deserves to die,' 'shouldn't have happened,' and 'I'm to blame for all this.'

"He wouldn't have blamed you either," she assured him. Tifa sat up straighter and put her hands on his cheeks tenderly.

"How can you be so sure?" Reno asked, his voice quivering uncharacteristically.

"Reno, you can't keep doing this to yourself. Look around you. You have a wife who loves you sitting right here, telling you that everything's okay. You have two beautiful children who love you with everything that they are. Wesley looks up to you and Lena Mae just loves being around you. I mean, it's okay to think about Hayden, I think about him all the time. And it's okay to miss him, but it's not okay to keep blaming yourself."

Out of nowhere, Reno smiled. "How did this conversation suddenly turn around on me?"

"It's a talent," Tifa said, leaning forward and pressing her lips to his.

He wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss, a single tear falling down his cheek. Tifa felt it on her hand and gently wiped it away, but the thought of her husband crying, Reno who was so strong and so resilient, made her start crying as well.

"Baby," he breathed, getting to his feet, and standing up. He picked her up into his loving embrace and held her close, burying his face in her hair. "I'm sorry. Please, don't cry. It kills me to see you cry."

"I'm sorry," she said, remembernearly fourteen yearsyears ago when he had told her that a woman's tears were pathetic. How things have changed. How he had changed. "Reno…" she began hesitantly. "You know, Wesley and Lena are asleep. I think, we should lock our door tonight."

He chuckled. "I couldn't agree more." With that, he lifted her up into his arms, and carried her up the stairs. Quietly, but quickly, he walked down the hallway and into their bedroom, closing the door behind him with his foot.

Tifa was already starting to unbutton his shirt by the time he set her down on the bed. She slid his shirt off of his shoulders and then lifted her own over her head. Then she lost her senses; he was kissing her in that spot, that special spot between her neck and her shoulder that drove her to delirium.

Laying back, she felt him get on top of her, felt his hands undoing her pants, felt him sliding them down, and then nothing; he got off of her, presumably so he could take off the rest of his clothing. Yes, that was it, because when he came back, there was nothing that separated them.

"I love you," she said, as her hands began drawing lines on her abs. She was amazed that he was still so cut. It began to make her feel self conscious. After having three children, her body wasn't what it used to be. She felt that her hips were to wide, her stomach was too pudgy, and everything else very plain.

"I love you too," he smiled, before kissing her neck again. But, there something was different this time. Tifa kept moving around, putting her hands around her stomach and whenever his hands began brushing over her legs or her stomach, she'd grab them and pull them back to his shoulders.

"Tifa," he began. "Stop this. You are beautiful."

"How did I get so lucky?" she said, running her hands through his hair.

"What do you mean?" he asked, kissing her again.

"To have a man like you, I must have done something right."

Reno laughed. "You are amazing, Tifa. I'll never get tired of you, I'll never stop loving you."

"Then…show me." She wrapped her legs around his waist and sighed when they came together. Reno never stopped kissing her, but his hands did have a mind of their own. They seemingly caressed every inch of her body, even after their spectacular release.

They spent the next few hours kissing, holding each other, and looking longingly into each other's eyes. It was around four in the morning when they heard a door open and footsteps on the hardwood.

"Get into your robe, babe," Tifa said, hurrying to her drawer and pulling out one of Reno's long shirts. As soon as they got them on, their door opened and their four year old daughter, Lena Mae, stood holding the door knob and clutching her Mog doll. "What's the matter, Lena?" Tifa asked, walking over to her.

The girl had tears in her blue eyes as she reached her arms up for her mother. She never spoke much, never more than necessary, and always communicated with gestures. Tifa picked her up and Lena's head came to rest on her shoulder. Reno walked over to them and put his hand on his daughter's head, running his hand down the bright red braid.

"Did you have a nightmare?" he asked. She nodded. Taking her into his own arms, he kissed her on the top of her head and carried her to the bed. "Oh, sweetie, you can sleep with us tonight."

The moment he laid her down on their bed, her eyes closed and she was asleep instantly. Reno smiled and brushed his hand over her soft, rosy cheek. Tifa smiled as she looked at her husband adore his daughter. She couldn't describe the bond between the two. The moment she was born, Reno was a sucker for her. He would turn the world over for her, and more.

"She's looks so much like you," Tifa said, getting into bed.

"She's beautiful though…like you." He kissed Lena on the head again and then settle into his pillow to go to sleep. "…I love you, Tifa," he said, his voice barely audible as the comfort of the bed began working their magical effects.

"I love you too, Reno," she whispered, putting her hand on his and closing her eyes. At times, it still seemed to good to be true. She was a mother and a wife. Fourteen years ago, she'd never have pictured her life this perfectly. Sure, it's had it's sadness, but what life hasn't? At least it also had the happy times, her times with Reno, with Wes, Lena…and in about eight months…yet another baby. She closed her eyes and squeezed Reno's hand. She hadn't told him yet, and she smiled when she imagined how is reaction would be. Oh yes, life was perfectly good now.


	3. Ruined

**Tengoko: Once again, I'm back to updating quickly. But, it's five in the morning, and you know how it is. Read and Review please.**

**Disclaimer: ...  
Rated M for language and romance**

**Chapter 3: Ruined**

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How he hated Mondays. In his opinion there was simply nothing worse than a Monday morning. He dragged his feet, walking as slowly as possible and trying to ignore the presence of his little sister at his side. She followed behind him by about a step, and just stared at him expectantly.

"What?" he snapped, still not looking at her. She shook her head and averted her eyes. "Why don't you ever talk? All of my friends are beginning to think that you are some kind of weirdo. Do you understand how embarrassing that is for me…to tell them that I have an involet sister just so they are compelled to pity you instead of morosely mock you."

She still said nothing, conveniently ignored him in fact. Wesley always found that if he ever wanted to condescend or fiercely insult somebody, Lena Mae was the last to try it on. It was just that she didn't really care. She'd just go on as though nothing had happened, and it annoyed the ever living hell out of her older brother.

"Well, don't expect me to hold your hand when we get to school, little girl. Imagine how that'll make me look."

"Yes, we wouldn't want your friends to think that you have a soul," she said quietly, still avoiding his hard gaze.

"Does it speak?" he asked in mock surprise. "Oh, I believe it does! And what's that? It's trying to sound intelligent? Amazing!"

"You aren't very nice," she barked, looking up at him finally. "Just wait 'til I tell dad what you said."

"Dad won't do a damned thing," Wesley said under his breath. It was true. Reno hardly ever lost his temper where Wesley was concerned, even when he purposely tried to piss him off. In fact, Lena Mae got a lot of her patience from their father, it's just, Reno was quick on the comeback and often put Wesley back in his place.

"Then I'll tell mom!"

"Like I can't handle mom," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Hey, Wes!" Wesley turned his head away from Lena to see three boys about his age, running towards them. Smiling deviously, he stopped and greeted them with elaborate handshakes and high-fives. "Whatchya up to, bro?"

"Nothing much, just walking the involet to school," he said, sneering at his little sister.

"To hell with school, we've got something much, much better," the boy said, flipping his blonde hair. "Viggo had the idea that we go to the Sector Seven ruins and try to find materia and shit. I mean, come on, with Shin-Ra wanting to rebuild, this may be the last chance we get."

"Wes, you'll get in trouble," Lena warned.

"Shut the hell up," he said curtly. He looked at his three friends and contemplated it for a moment. Lucius, the friend who proposed it, looked down at his sister and smiled slightly, but then snapped his attention back to Wesley and waited. His hazel eyes seemed bored, as though he'd love nothing more than to be anywhere else. "Well, let's go then. We've got quite a walk."

"Wes!" Lena implored.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up!"

"Ah, don't be like that," Lucius said. "She can come too. Hell, maybe the dweeb'll learn a thing or two about slum scrounging."

"Why would she need to learn that?" Wesley asked. "She doesn't live in the slums." It was amazing how it worked. Wesley treated his sister as though she were a disease, but when other people did it, he became extremely defensive. "Besides, my mother will kill me if she finds out that Lena picked up that nasty habit."

"I don't want to go," Lena protested.

"Well, we could leave you here, all alone, without a phone or a way of getting back."

Lena didn't say another word. How could she, especially when the boys took off in a hurried stride and she had to run just to keep up. And they never slowed down. It was a good thing that she was energetic and active, or she never would have been able to run the whole way.

"Damn, I've never been here before," Wesley said as they began climbing over the debris. "I can't believe how bad this place is."

"Christian once found a body," Viggo said excitedly.

"Liar," Lucius accused, though he smiled. "It's been nearly twenty years since the plate came down. Besides, with the force and weight of the plate, all bodies would have been crushed to oblivion, destroyed all together."

"You're full of shit," Wesley laughed. "You know that's not true. Crushed, yes, but there's a possibility that we could find a body here."

"Wouldn't that be awesome?" Viggo smiled.

"You are so morbid," Christian said. "But, that's why we wanted to come. People kept talking about how they found parts."

"Parts?" He didn't know why he furthered the conversation by asking. The idea of finding a corpse repulsed and terrified him. He could never understand his friend's fascination with stuff like that. He supposed his inability to deal with seeing a dead body or thinking about the prospect had something to do with Hayden, the brother his friends didn't know about.

"Parts of people, Wes. Stop being so obtuse."

"You guys actually…want…to find a dead body?" Wesley asked, looking a bit disgusted. Do you realize that we are talking about remains that are nearly twenty years old. Do you really want to see that?"

"Yeah!" Viggo and Christian said together.

"Really, why do we hang out with them?" Lucius asked Wesley underneath his breath, so that only he could hear. "I honestly thought they wanted to scour for materia and weapons, not bodies. Had I known, I never would have suggested the idea to you."

"Dude," Wesley stopped walking and looked around. "Do you hear that?"

"It sounds like a truck, but it sounds far away," Lucius said.

"No, it's coming this way," he said, his eyes widening. "It's a Shin-Ra truck."

"Damn!" Viggo shouted. "Let's get out of here before they catch us."

They were all about to take off when suddenly, Wesley called out, "Where's my sister?" They all stopped and looked around. Indeed, Lena Mae was gone and panic swept over the four boys. "Oh shit! Lena!" he cried. "Lena, this isn't funny! I get your point, now come here!"

Nobody answered and Wesley began to get worried. What if something happened to her? It would be all his fault. "Maybe she got tired and sat down to rest," Viggo suggested.

"That doesn't help me," Wesley shouted.

"What the-" The boys wheeled around, unaware that the truck had already parked nearby, and half a dozen Shin-Ra employees were walking about. That wasn't the worst of it though. Wesley stomach fell when his eyes found those oh so familiar black shades. "Wesley? What are you doing here?"

"Run!" Lucius screamed, and instinctively they all took off in four different directions.

Wesley knew it was pointless. Rude was a Turk, and so was the man standing next to him, Tseng. Trying to out run them was like trying to hold water in a cupped hand. It just doesn't work out.

"Stop!" he heard Tseng shout, his voice not too far behind. But still, it was behind him, so he had a chance of escape. Or so he thought.

"Hold it!" Rude said, his hand clasping around Wesley's shoulder and whipping him around to look at him. "Shouldn't you be in school?" he asked, his gloved hand reaching up to take off his sunglasses. "Does your father know that you are here?"

"I'll wager that he does not," Tseng said, approaching them. "You do know that it's against the law to be here, don't you. This is a restricted area and if you were any older I just might have pressed the issue."

"Sorry," he lied, looking around. "I won't do it again, now can I go."

"I don't think so," Rude said. "Not until you tell me what you were doing here."

"Nothing really, just looking for something fun to do."

"Well, you picked the wrong thing to do," Tseng said. "This place is dangerous. You could have been hurt or killed."

"And what do you think you are doing risking your father's good name. If the press found out about your little adventure, they'd have a field day. It could've cost your father the election."

"Rude, take him home," Tseng said.

But as Rude began to pull Wesley along, he pulled away and shouted, "No! I can't go yet. I've got to find Lena."

"What?" Rude and Tseng both shouted.

"You brought her here? How could you be that senseless?" Tseng demanded, as he pulled his cell phone out of his coat. He pressed a button and then put it to his ear. "Jun, yeah, it's Tseng. We have a problem. No, it's worse. It seems there is a four year old girl missing here. No, I'm not. Now, I want you to halt the inspection and have everybody search for her. Now!"

"Where's the last place you saw her?" Rude asked, grabbing Wesley by the collar.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? She's your sister, Wes." Rude shook his head disappointedly. "You should have known better than to bring her here. She was your responsibility."

"I know," he said.

Tseng stepped on top of a mound of rubble to get a better look at the site. It would be almost impossible to find a four year old girl in this. But then, by mere luck, a bright, red caught his eye and he breathed a sigh of relief. Jumping down, he raced towards her.

Wesley was about to follow, but Rude held him firmly and shook his head. "You aren't leaving my site," he said. "I'm taking you home myself."

Wesley frowned but knew resistance would get him nowhere. His mind began to race with all sorts of excuses he could give his mother, but he knew she wouldn't buy a one of them. Even as he watched Tseng bring Lena towards them, even as his heart leapt with relief, he knew that soon, he would rue the day he was born.


	4. Visitors

**Tengoko: I hate my job. That's the reason I'm not updating as fast as I usually do. At any rate, it's about three in the morning and I'm wide awake. So I figured, hey, why not finish chapter 4 and post it? Please read and review. Thanks.**

**Disclaimer: Grr...  
Rated M for language and romance**

**Chapter 4: Visitors**

* * *

Tifa stood at the sink, her hands elbow deep in soapy water. Her hair was tied back into a sloppy bun and she wore one of Reno's oversized t-shirts and a pair of black athletic shorts. Overall, she looked ready for some spring cleaning, but that was the furthest thing on her mind.

She had just seen the news. Rufus had finally confirmed that Sector Seven was ready for rebuilding and a new team was being implemented to clear, organize, and redesign the area. The project would take approximately ten years before completion.

So, why would Tifa be so upset? The reconstruction of that sector was a long time coming, and Tifa was actually grateful that action was finally being taken to fix Shin-Ra's greatest mistake. No, what made Tifa angry was that her husband had been assigned to head the project. That meant that they would be stuck in Midgar for another ten years, and that was too long for Tifa.

"Damn it," she cried, pulling her hand from the water. She had cut her thumb on a knife, but the cut wasn't bad, just an annoyance. "Reno," she mumbled, looking up at the clock on the microwave. "Where the hell are you?"

"Right here, babe," he said from behind, walking into the kitchen. He was removing his jacket and hung it on the back of a chair before going to his wife and kissing her. She just stared at him, not kissing back, but with a look on her face that let him know that he was in trouble. "What'd I do?" he asked.

"I didn't hear you come in," she said.

"Sorry?" Reno turned away from her and walked into the living room. He sat down on the couch and began taking off his shoes, looking up briefly to see that his wife had followed him. She stood in the entryway between the kitchen and living room, her arms folded in front of her. "What?"

"When were you going to tell me?" she burst.

"Tell you what?"

"That you pretty much signed away our lives for the next ten years."

Reno shook his head. "Baby, you don't understand. But that's okay, I'll enlighten you. I'm only the temporary head. What that means is, I will oversee it for the first couple of years before handing it off to somebody else. Besides, why are you getting so pissed off. You do realize if I'm elected president, that could be four to ten years anyway. If you were going to complain, why do it now? Why not then?"

"I did complain, but you were probably too drunk to remember!" she shouted.

"Hey! I haven't been drunk for the past six years, and as I recall, I gave up that euphoria for you! And I surely would have remembered your whining. Your complaints are like thorns in my brain."

"Reno, you take that back!" She unfolded her arms and held them in fists at her side.

"What do you want from me, Tifa? Here I am trying to make a better life for all of us, and all you can do is bitch. I thought that this is what you wanted."

"No! What I want is to be done with Midgar! You promised that we'd live in Wutai!"

Reno groaned and began rubbing his temples. "Don't you have something better to be doing than yelling at me? I've had a long day at work and I really don't need this right now. Of all the people in this world to give me crap, you are the last person I need it from."

"Reno, I hate it here!"

"I know that!" he shouting, jumping to his feet. "You tell me every damn day! I'm doing the best I can!"

"You don't understand," she said, tears forming in her eyes. "This house…" She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. Reno was grateful. He knew what was coming.

"Tifa…"

"I can't help it, Reno. I'll never forget what you did to me, to us."

"It was six years ago," he said, standing up and approaching her. "Tifa. I can't keep apologizing every day for the rest of my damned life!"

It had almost destroyed their marriage. It began with the rumors; people whispering here and there about Reno's alleged infidelity. Tifa, at the time, thought them all to be ludicrous. Her husband, her Reno wouldn't cheat on her.

In the end, he's the one that told her. He'd been drunk, the last time, and Tifa had been out of town visiting Yuffie and Vincent in Wutai. One of his co-workers, Selena (he eventually admitted), had driven him home, and proceeded to take advantage of his drunken state. When he woke up…well…

Tifa did forgive him. Though, it was hard to tell at times, she didn't resent him or hate him for it. It took a while, but now, she only hated the woman, not her husband. Of course, he had done everything he could to make it up to her, even after she had kicked him out. What sealed it was his promise to quite drinking forever- she knew it would be no easy feat for him.

"Reno, I'm not mad! That's not it! What this is about is the thought of another woman in this house doing to you what…well…you know. That's what gets to me. Not your mistake, but the act."

"Tifa, I'm trying my best. I don't know what else to do."

"Reno! You don't get it! I've already forgiven you! That's it!"

He really didn't get it. He hated himself for doing what he did, no matter how inebriated he was. The fact is, there is no excuse- none- for cheating on his wife. His father had done it to his mother, and he had sworn that he wouldn't do that to Tifa. So, in truth, it was Reno who hadn't forgiven himself, so in his mind, she hadn't forgiven him either.

"I love you, Re. Always, no matter what you do. I just hate this house, and Midgar. There are too many ghosts from the past lingering everywhere I go. When I go to Sector One, I see Hayden; Two, Denzel; Three; Sephiroth; Four…"

"I know baby. I see them too. I don't like it here anymore than you do. But don't you get it. I have the chance to change everything. I can't just leave. These people, this city needs somebody like me. If it wasn't for us, Rufus would have continued to run this nation with his perverse subterfuge policy. I can't leave until I know everybody in Midgar will be taken care of."

"When did my husband become such a humanitarian?" Tifa asked, brushing some of his wild, red hair out of his face. "What ever happened to the well-known Turk 'I look out for number one' attitude?"

"Everything changed when you came into my life, sweet. But, humanitarian may be pushing it. I still have selfish priorities. For example, if it came down to Midgar's successful restoration or my family's well being…"

"Ah, Reno," she laughed. "You do care." She grabbed his hands and pulled him towards her in a brief, but loving kiss- only brief because the doorbell rang. "Don't you move," she said, her lips brushing against his. "I'll get that."

Reno's eyes followed his wife as she stepped around him and walked towards the door. Damn whoever was behind it. He hated fighting with his wife, but he sure did love making up with her, and they were about to do just that until whoever it was showed up and ruined it. Damn them.

It turns out, the people Reno damned were none other than Vincent, Yuffie, and their youngest child, Valdis. Yuffie and Tifa greeted one another with a hug and Vincent bent over to plant a kiss on Tifa's cheek. Tifa then swooned over the baby in his arms, and then it struck Reno.

Did she just brush a hand over her own stomach? Now that he noticed, she was beginning to act a little…different. Not to mention her breasts were looking fuller than usual, that he knew. She was pregnant again; he could have kicked himself for not realizing this before. Suppressing a joyful yell, Reno merely grinned before walking up to Vincent, holding his arms out, and securely fixing his grip as Vincent handed his son to his close friend.

"He looks so much like you, man," Reno said, not looking away from the curious newborn. His eyes were fixed on Reno's hair, and a small hand reached up and grabbed a strand. Reno chuckled as Valdis became mesmerized by it.

"And he's got the attention span of his mother," Vincent said, rolling his eyes. He immediately paid for the comment as Yuffie turned around and smacked him across the chest. "You're right, Yuffs, it was uncalled for to say that. After all, he is only six months old. He'll probably outgrow it." She hit him again.

Reno laughed and looked at Tifa. "You know, baby…I think we should have another one."

"Is that so?" she asked, a large smile on her face. "We'll have to talk about it in depth later, Re. As it is, we have guests to entertain and I'm sure the last thing they want to hear about it our plans for procreation."

"You definitely said it," Yuffie said, taking Valdis back.

"Where's the rest of the brood?" Reno asked, walking to his wife and draping an arm around her shoulders.

"Well, Veronica's with my father," Yuffie began; they all noted Vincent's scowl. "And Victor and Valencia are staying with a family friend. They really don't like making this trip; they get motion sick."

"Like their mother," Tifa teased, walking to the couch. "Have a seat, all of you."

"Don't mind if I do," Yuffie said, sitting next to her best friend. "You know, Valdis isn't at all like his siblings. They all used to fuss and cry all the time. But he barely makes a sound. Vincent said that's how he was when he was a baby."

"Oh, I'd hate to think of two Vincent Valentines in this world," Reno said, standing behind the couch with Vincent. "I don't think we could stand all the gloominess."

"Well, I'd be happy to dispatch you," Vincent said, appearing to be quite serious.

Reno was about to counter when the doorbell rang again. He looked at Tifa before moving towards the door. "Are we expecting anybody else?" he asked, reaching for the doorknob.

"I don't think so."

"Oh…Rude?" Reno was taken by surprise by his two friends, former co-workers filling up his doorway. Lena Mae instantly ran into the house and flew into her father's arms. He laughed and kissed her hello before asking, "why are you home so earlier, babe?"

"Rude," she said simply, her feet finding the floor again as Reno set her down.

"What's going on?" he asked, noticing that Rude was holding Wesley firmly by the collar.

"It might interest you to know that we found your son and a few of his friends wandering around the Sector Seven Ruins. I am going to assume that you weren't aware of this." Reno's silence and Tifa's sudden staidness confirmed his assumption. Reno stepped aside as Tifa joined them at the door.

"Lena Mae," Yuffie said. "Why don't you come with me and your Uncle Vin outside? We'll play anything you want, okay?" Lena nodded and they vanished into the kitchen.

Tseng waited for the backdoor to close before going on. "It's a good thing we found him and not another Shin-Ra employee. They wouldn't have let him off so easy."

"Thank you," Reno said stoically, taking his son's arm and pulling him inside.

"It's not even the worst of it," Rude said. "It's one thing for a thirteen year old boy to be scouring the wreck, but for him to take his little sister, who's only four years old, and then lose her…"

"You lost her?" Tifa yelled.

"I didn't mean to," Wesley said lamely.

"Rude, Tseng, thank you so much for returning them to us," Reno said.

"Now, if you don't mind," Tifa said, her eyes fixed on her son, "we'll take it from here."


	5. Dispute

**Tengoko: Sorry for the long wait. Work has been...well...working me hard. In fact, I have to go back in about four hours, so...yeah. Well, this chapter was difficult to write anyway. Don't worry, nothing tragic...yet ;). It was just, different for me, something I'd never really attempted before. So, more than ever, reviews would be greatly appreciated. As it is, I really do get motivated when I read your reviews. It's feedback from my readers that reminds me why I want to be a writer. Anyway, thanks, and enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Mine, mine, all mine. MWUHAHAHA! No...not really, I lied.  
Rated M for language and romance**

**Chapter 5: Dispute**

* * *

It was as if the room had detonated. As soon as the door closed, Tifa whirled around to face Wesley, who had sat himself on the couch and buried his face in his hands. Trying his best to ignore his mothers loud blasts, he began concentrating hard on his shoes. His mother's yelling was all too common to him. She did it often, reprimanding him always for doing something against the status quo.

"What did you think you were doing?" she demanded. "Answer me, Wes!" She stood in front of him with her hands on her hips, her brow furrowed, and her lips fixed. "Don't you dare ignore me young man, I will smack that self-righteous smirk off of your face so fast…"

"I wasn't thinking, mother," he snapped. "Is that what you want to hear? That I was absolutely and in all other ways idiotic enough to go combing the ruins with my little sister?"

"Wes, you should have known better than that!" she screamed. "What if she had been lost or seriously hurt? What if somebody kidnapped her or if she had been killed? What then, Wes? All these bullshit excuses wouldn't cut it then, would they?"

"But, she wasn't hurt, or lost, or kidnapped, and unless my eyes are lying to me, I'm quite sure she's not dead either, so you are dramatizing the entire situation. Why not just let bygones be bygones? I learnt my lesson- I swear."

"I'm not stupid, Wesley!" Tifa yelled. "I know how manipulative you think you can be. So, what were you doing there anyway, huh? You should have been at school? Do you often go there when we think you are somebody else?"

He didn't answer, but he looked up at his father who had just sat down on the armchair across the room. Tifa followed his gaze and stared crossly at her husband before turning back on Wesley. "I can't even begin to describe the amount of trouble you are in!"

"Why don't you give it a try so I can clear my calendar?" he asked scathingly.

"Wesley Cid Storm!" After that, she could not find any words. She sputtered a bit before settling her eyes on her husband, hoping that he would assist her. Yet, all he did was sit in the chair and rub his temple with one hand. "Reno!"

"Wes, you must promise your mother and I that you won't go back there again," Reno said calmly.

"You can't be serious," Tifa griped, dropping her hands to her side. "Your son just skipped school to go off to a hazardous place to do disreputable things, and what's more, he took his sister with him! And that's all you're going to do about it? Make him promise not to do it again?"

"Mother, has anybody ever told you how utterly neurotic you are?"

"Well, Wes, that tends to happen when you have a son you don't trust and a husband who cares more about work than family."

"Tifa," Reno said ominously. "You know that's not true, so stop it."

"No dad. Mom has to condemn you for this. I mean, heaven forbid she actually acknowledge that she is a bad mother and a bad wife."

Tifa turned around and raised her hand to slap him. She caught herself before any harm could be done and then turned away from him, refusing to look at him or her husband for that matter. "Get out of my sight, Wesley."

"Wes," Reno said. "Go upstairs."

Wesley didn't have to be told twice. Standing up, he nodded to his father and glared at his mother before heading for the stairway. As soon as they heard his bedroom door close, Reno stood up and stared furiously at Tifa.

"Why does everything have to come back to me?" he asked. "You weren't like this when we first were married."

"Things change when you have children, Reno," she snarled.

"I know that, Tifa. I've had them too, in case you forgot. They're our children. Ours. Not just yours."

"Then act like it," she said through clenched teeth. "Don't you think I want to be like you? I want to be the good guy who they go to when there is a problem. I want to be the fun parent, Re, but I can't be. I can't be because you can't be the bad guy every now and then. No, that's my designated role. So don't get mad at me when I start acting like a bitch, because if I don't, Wes will walk all over me like he walks all over everybody else."

"Well, damn it, Tifa. If I start acting like the bad guy, then we'll drive our children to lunacy."

"Yeah, that would be ghastly considering what our son's turning into now."

"And what is he turning into?" Reno demanded, raising his voice for the first time. "I don't think that there is anything wrong with the boy. So, he's adventurous? What teenager isn't? I was no different, and I'm quite sure that Cid and Vincent were much the same way. Hell, Cid still does things like that. So, what's wrong with our son giving into his inquisitiveness every once in a while?"

"Because he knows what he is doing is wrong, Reno. He knows it, but he does it anyway. That's what's so wrong with it. Our boy is becoming a delinquent."

"Oh yes, a future Turk in the making," Reno said in a derisive tone. "Whatever will we do with him?"

Tifa's eyes narrowed harshly and watered over with tears of wrath. "I can't believe you are taking this so flippantly," she said, her voice shaking. "He could have ruined everything for you. If the press gets wind of this, your campaign is over, over before it started." She stepped closer to him and put her hand loosely around his wrist. "But I know you don't care about that. You only care about them, and I am just as relieved as you are that they weren't hurt. But, Re, they could have been, Lena could have been, and honestly…I don't think I could deal with losing either of them. That's why I have to assure myself that he won't do anything like this again."

"Tifa, I can't…"

"Can't what?" she urged, her voice getting softer by the second.

"I can't get after them. Don't ask me to explain it, I couldn't even if I tried. But I can't bring myself to raise my voice to them. Believe me, I'm just as angry as you are, but I just…"

"I understand," she said with a note of finality. "I know all about that, Re."

"…how?" he asked, taking a distrustful carriage. Suddenly his eyebrows contracted and his eyes became sharp, too sharp for Tifa to look into them. She knew his temperament had just been breached and she was about to get the brunt of it. "Rude told you, didn't he? Damn it! Tifa, that's none of your business! I'll kill him for that!"

"Re, you're my husband. Perhaps you are forgetting what that means."

"Then tell me!" he shouted, his anger greater than she would have cared. "Tell me how to be the perfect husband, Tifa, because…as we all know…you are the perfect wife." There was no mistaking his meaning.

Tifa released his hand and stepped back, tears finally spilling over, face red as she held back her sobs. Her chest heaved at the endeavor and she had no choice but to rip her eyes away from Reno to contain the impulse to give into the pain he had just cause. "It means, dear husband, that we don't keep secrets from each other."

"Oh, bullshit, Tifa. Don't imagine that you tell me everything."

"I do!" she insisted. "You know everything about me, Reno. Everything! I wished I could say the same where you are concerned."

"There are certain things about my past that I don't care for you to know. Is that so difficult to accept?"

"It is when you consider that it's still bothering you today. I mean, you can't even scold your son because of what your father did to you. But, Reno, you aren't your father, and you will never be your father."

"Shut up! You don't know what you are talking about, and you'll never understand."

"I would if you would just talk to me," she appealed, stepping closer again.

"No!" he hollered, pushing her away. "This is the one thing you don't push me on, Tifa. I'm warning you now."

Tifa closed her eyes and nodded in acknowledgment of her capitulation. She wiped the tears from her face and sniffled a bit before going to the door and grabbing her coat and purse from the coat rack.

"Where are you going?" he inquired unconcernedly.

"I'm going for a drive," she said, pulling her keys out of her purse. "I can't stay here right now. I've got to clear my head." She slid into her coat before going on. "Tell Yuffie that I'm sorry about all this, and tell Vincent that I'll see him later."

Reno's expression changed in an instant. Tifa recognized the remorse on his face but chose to ignore it. "Don't leave, Tifa."

"Make sure that Lena has something to eat. After that, set her down for her nap. Do whatever you want with Wesley. Evidently, I don't know what's best for him, so I'll leave it up to you."

"Tifa," he pleaded, making his way towards her and standing in front of the door. "I…you shouldn't drive when you are angry."

"I'm not angry," she said, grabbing the doorknob and then looking up at him.

"Don't do this, baby," he begged, taking her hand in his. "Yuffie and Vincent came all this way to see you."

Tifa shook her head. "You don't get it do you?" Her eyes searched him for understanding. She found none. "Reno, let me leave."

Reno stepped aside and watched her open the door and a vanish behind it. It closed rather softly, meaning she was being truthful; she was no longer angry. But that made him feel worse. That meant she was hurt and it was his fault. He heard the car start and through the window he saw it drive off slowly.

Reno sighed profoundly before crossing back to the armchair. "What am I going to do?" he mused. Everything was falling apart. It wasn't supposed to be this way. When they married, life was seamless, and it was supposed to remain that way. He hadn't expected it to get so tricky. If he didn't do something, he was going to lose her, and being conscious of this, Reno began to panic inwardly. Sure, she drove him crazy in every way achievable, but he couldn't live without Tifa. He had to fix it. He just had to.


	6. Plans

**Tengoko: Yay, exactly twenty-four hours later, I have the next chapter for you all. I can promise you, this chapter is much happier than the ones before...but, there is a lemon. True to form, I have marked it off, but I must say, I am especially proud of this one. I'd say best one to date. Of course, I'd love feedback, as usual, and would like to thank those who have reviewed in previous chapters. **

**Diclaimer: So repititious...  
Rated M for language and romance**

**Chapter 6: Plans**

* * *

"_And that's all for weather_," the reporter chirped, smiling bogusly into the camera. "_And now, over to you Steve_."

"_Thanks, Jim. And I must say, that I'm sure I'm not the only one who's relieved to see rain in the forecast_." He laughed good-humouredly before grabbing the stack of papers in front of him and clearing his throat. "_On a more serious note, however, Professor Benkley, of Shin-Ra's Department of Medicine and Disease Control, has released a report stating that the famine of Potions and Phoenix Downs is in large part due to the mud slide in Mount Corel. France Kingsely has more details_."

He heard the car door slam outside and turned off the television. The front door opened slowly and Tifa paused upon seeing him, but smiled weakly right after the initial shock. She hadn't been expecting him to wait up for her, but truthfully, she was glad that he had. Shrugging out of her coat, she hung it on the coat rack and walked over to the arm chair.

"You're still awake?" she asked delicately, kneeling down besides him. He nodded and put his arm around her, bringing her closer and planting a soft kiss on her forehead. "I thought you'd be asleep by now."

"I couldn't sleep," Reno said. "I can never sleep when you aren't with me." He scooted over a bit and lifted her into the chair. "I was worried about you, babe," he said against her cheek. "How could I sleep when I didn't know where you were or how you were?"

"I'm sorry," she uttered. "For shouting. I know that I can get out of control sometimes, and I don't know why. Maybe it's in my genes. My mother used to get like that when I was small, and I told myself that I'd never yell at my children. I guess…I just don't realize when I'm doing it, but I think I'm beginning to understand why."

Reno chuckled and brought her closer, dragging her across his lap. "That's what I'm afraid of," he confessed. "I don't want to treat our kids like my father treated me."

"That's different, Re. Your father wasn't a good man. You are. You love your kids too much to be like he was. Trust me. You are nothing like him."

"Thanks, baby. That means so much to me." He leaned forward and kissed her affectionately. "There was something else I wanted to talk to you about though. Wesley; we never really…punished him for what he did. What do you think? Should we ground him until he's sixty?"

Tifa laughed. "No. Until further notice is what I was leaning towards."

"Sounds good, Tiff."

Tifa smiled. He only called her 'Tiff' when he was feeling especially agreeable. It'd been a while since she'd heard the name escape his lips, but the fact that he didn't over use it, made it more special to hear it now. She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest.

"Reno, I know you know," she said happily. "We are having another baby."

"I still like hearing it," he smiled, kissing the top of her head. "I love you so much, Tifa," he all but sighed. "I realize that things have been…grueling between us. That's why, I called Rufus earlier and requested some time off of work. I figured, we could go on vacation and rekindle our romance. What do you say?"

"Where are we going?" she asked perking up.

"Where else, baby?" he laughed.

"Wutai!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck. He nodded and kissed her again, more ardently than before. After they broke apart, she asked, "and the kids?"

"Vincent and Yuffie said that they'd look after them for us."

She smiled tremendously and kissed him again. "The kids are asleep?" she asked. He nodded just as her lips came down on his again. "I have a question, Re?" He grunted softly to show her that he was listening. "Do we have to wait until our vacation to rekindle our romance…or can we start now?"

Reno's enchanted laughter filled the room just as his arms tightened around her waist. "I'm good with now," he commented, standing up and bringing her with him. His mouth crushed against hers in a blistering kiss, awakening intimate feelings between the two of them that they reveled in.

Tifa seemed to melt against him, holding on to him in a heartwarming hug. Reno deepened the kiss, felt his mind turn to mush, his legs lose feeling, and his heart race and delight. It was amazing that she still had this effect on him, even after all these years. Reluctantly breaking the kiss, Reno hooked an arm underneath her knees and cradled her against him. "I love you," he murmured.

"Naturally," she teased, making him laugh again. "Mmm, I love when we are like this, Re."

"You'll love it even better in a few minutes," he promised, heading for the stairs. Instinctively, they were very quiet when they passed their children's rooms, but as soon as the door closed, Tifa jumped to her feet and captured Reno's face in her hands, pulling him into a very spirited kiss, one that was meant to sear nerve endings and curl toes.

He responded with a moan that was muffled within her mouth. It took him a few seconds to regain his bearings, but soon he matched her passion and then some. "I love you," he panted, kissing her cheek, "I love you" -her other cheek. "I love you" - her neck. "I love you." -he took her mouth again, a kiss that outperformed all the ones before it.

Every sense was heightened; his touch burned her skin as though he were on fire, his kiss scorched her soul, sending a lustful tremor that began at her lips and ended at her toes. His soft moans filled her ears, her heart with need to touch him in turn, and he felt so good beneath her fingertips. He tasted even better, and she pushed her tongue passed his lips to get a better flavor.

He broke the kiss and basically fell into her embrace. "Gods, we are going to burst into flames before I even get you into the bed."

"Fine by me," she joked, taking her hair tie out and letting her dark, brown tresses fall around her face.

Reno immediately buried his fingers in the cool, silky locks, marveling how they felt. He loved her hair, loved running his fingers through it, loved the way it smelled. He took a lock of her hair into his hand and brought it to his lips.

"I love you, Reno," she said in a barely audible whisper.

"Keep saying it, baby," he begged, picking her up and carrying her to the bed.

**(Tengoko!for all those who want to skip the lemon, now would be a good time to start. Scroll down for the rest of the chapter!)**

Laying her down, Reno climbed on top of her and lifted his t-shirt over his head. He was greeted with her small, delicate hands as they moved up and down his chest and his stomach. He reached down for her, pulled his shirt off of her, and leaned down to kiss her neck and her shoulders.

He smiled once he felt her hands on the brim of his pants, and he stopped kissing her to help her remove them. Next was her shorts, and those came off rather quickly. When he laid on her again, it was skin against skin, nothing barring them from each other. It made them both moan and tremble.

Reno kissed her and trailed his kisses down; her chin, her neck, until they were kissing the dip between her breasts. The teasing act sent Tifa's heart ablaze. Finally, she groaned when his lips found one of her breasts, and he kissed, nipped, and tasted until it was full. Then, he went to the other, bestowing it with just as much attention as its twin.

"Reno," she moaned, digging her nails into his back. He chuckled as he kissed her again, positioning himself, and then driving into her, gently, movingly, amorously. Oh, this had to be Heaven. No- it was much better. Tifa sheathed him so seamlessly that they were both sure that they were made explicitly for each other.

Tifa could no longer think, especially once Reno began to rock her back and forth against him. Her hands clutched at him, his head, his shoulders, his arms. Still, she wanted to be closer, closer than they already were if possible. She could feel herself beginning to go over, but she didn't want to yet. It was too perfect, too perfect to end.

Grasping his hips, Tifa thrusted upward, pushing him deeper, making them both cry out with pleasure, making them both fly over the edge. Reno had to catch himself on his elbows to keep from collapsing on top of her, such was his satisfaction.

Tifa stared up at her husband; he was positively glowing. His body glistened in a sheen of sweat, sweat from the passion of their lovemaking, and his chest pressed against hers with each breath. He was still inside her, and it didn't appear that he was in a hurry to move.

**(!lemon is over.!)**

"You are so wonderful," Tifa said once she was able to.

"I know," he said, smiling. She pinched him playfully but he only kissed her in response. "And you, my sweet, are amazing."

She sighed and pulled his head to rest on her chest. His breathing slowed and after a few minutes, she was sure that he was sleeping. He wasn't. He was trying to remember the moment, everything the way that it was. It was perfect, something worth remembering.

"Tifa?" he began. "Why can't we always be like this?"

"You mean, why do we fight when we are so desperately in love with each other?"

"Yeah." He turned his head to look at her.

"Reno, we have always fought. Ever since the beginning."

"But…it's worse now."

"I wouldn't say that," she said softly. "I just think…things are more important now. We are married, we have kids. It's no longer about what we are going to do or where we're going to go for the night. It's what's best for our children and where are we going to be in the next ten years. I mean, just because we fight doesn't mean that we love each other any less."

"I don't think it's possible to love you any less."

"So, Re," she said, running her fingers through his red, unruly mane. "When this baby is born…well, is there any preference for its gender?"

"A girl," he breathed, grabbing her wrist and bringing her palm to his lips. "And…her name will be Alyianna."

"Alyianna Storm," Tifa thought aloud. "I think that has a nice ring to it, don't you think so? But- what if we have a boy?" she asked.

"We won't," he said quickly. Tifa laughed as her husband merely turned his head away and closed his eyes.

"But, if we do?"

"Then…we'll name him after me, of course," he smiled a toothy grin, one that had Tifa rolling her eyes, but laughing nonetheless. "But, we won't have a boy. It's going to be a girl- a beautiful girl."

She didn't question it. Reno had an uncanny talent for guessing the gender of their children. The first two, he had emphatically claimed that they would be boys. Even when the doctor insisted that Hayden was a girl, Reno said the man was a quack and didn't know what he was talking about. A few months later, they went back and the doctor rectified his mistake. Still, the first to could easily be passed off as a man's desire to have sons, but that couldn't explain how he knew Lena was going to be a girl before the doctor did.

"I know my seed," he had said. A crude joke, yes, but so far, he was three for three. Tifa began massaging his scalp and lulled him peacefully to sleep. His soft snores and his steady breathing told her that he would be out for the rest of the night.

"I love you," she whispered, shifting a bit on her pillow, and then closing her eyes. Yes- she loved him. It had to be a sin how much she loved him. And she would never stop, no matter what happened. Hell, after all they'd been through…what else could possibly go wrong?

* * *

**Tengoko: Oh yes...a cliff hanger. I just love ending chapters that way...please read and review.**


	7. Phone Calls

**Tengoko: First chapter I've written before midnight! Well, thanks for the reviews on the last chapter. Keep them coming. I love them.**

**Disclaimer: so redudant...  
Rated M for language and romance**

**Chapter 7: Phone Calls**

* * *

Reno just couldn't sit still. Even his secretary commented on his unusual cheery mood upon his greeting to her. The entire day, she saw Reno perform his tasks, faster than what was typical, and he even had time to sit down and talk with her for a while. It surprised her really. It's not that Reno was a stuck up man, it's just, he was usually so busy and wrapped in his work that he never had the time for it.

"So, you are going on vacation tomorrow, Mr. Storm? I hear that the weather in Wutai is going to be clear."

Reno smiled at Molly and nodded. He saw her gray eyes twinkle with happiness and suddenly felt guilty that his secretary hadn't had a vacation in a long time. "So, how are the grandchildren?" he asked with genuine interest.

"I'll tell you what, they are so much easier than having your own children. I can spoil them, take them when I want, and when they get fussy, I can give them back to their parents. I wish I had that option when their parents were my children…" She laughed and his chuckled as he leaned back in his chair.

"Speaking of children, Tifa and I are expecting another child," he said with pride.

"That's wonderful. You know, I always thought that you and Mrs. Storm were the perfect match. She brings out the best in you and, while I don't know her very well, I'm sure you do the same for her. That's exactly what this city needs; a family man. That's why you are going to win. We need a firm, but sensitive leader. Fatherhood is much the same."

"I don't think being president will be as satisfying as being a father," he smiled. Standing up, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pad of paper. "Can I borrow a pen?" he asked. She happily obliged and watched curiously as he scribbled on his paper. "Molly, I want you to do me a favor."

"Yes, Mr. Storm." She stood up, her head barely coming up to his chest.

Reno ripped the paper off of the pad and handed it to her. "Take this down to personnel. You need a vacation, and really, there's no sense in you staying here when I'm not here. So, this way, we both have stories to tell when we come back."

Molly was speechless. She stared down at the words but couldn't believe them. "You are too kind, sir."

"Not at all, Molly. Just fair." He patted her on the shoulder before telling her to get on her way. Turning around, he went back into his office and began filing away some papers (mostly plans for Sector Seven). Suddenly, the lights flickered. Of course, he thought nothing of it; lights flicker all the time.

However, what happened afterwards is what worried him. Suddenly, there were executives running around chaotically, shouting and cursing. Reno abandoned his papers and poked his head out of his office, trying to catch somebody going by. It was seemingly a coincidence that the next person was Rufus Shinra.

"Reno, we need to talk…now." He all but pushed Reno back into his office and closed the door behind him.

"What's going on?" Reno asked.

"There was an explosion at the Sector Eight power plant," Rufus walked to the window and pulled the blinds open. Sure enough, a cloud of smoke was billowing high above the horizon. Rufus looked at Reno with his glassy eyes and he knew right away that something was off about his boss. "Tseng and Rude just phoned in and told me that the terrorists have already been captured, but there is a more persisting problem. The damage is pretty bad. According to my information, the explosion decimated five square miles and the loss of life will be in the hundreds."

"Who was responsible?" Reno asked. His jaw was clenched now as he thought of all the people who were trapped, injured, dying or dead. It was a feeling very reminiscent of Sector Seven. Only then…it had been his fault.

"It doesn't matter. We'll worry about getting to the bottom of this later. Right now, I need to send in a special team to retrieve survivors."

Reno finally understood why Rufus had come. "No. No, Rufus. I'm leaving today. Tifa and I are going to Wutai, ask somebody else."

"There is nobody else. There are two people who know this city like the back of their hand. One is Reeve, but as it is, he's in Gongaga. He probably hasn't even heard about the attacks yet. Then, there is you. Reno, I need you to stay. No- I'm ordering you to stay. There are people who's lives are depending on it."

Reno said nothing, only stared vacantly at the black cloud that contrasted horribly with the pale blue sky. What could he do? People were dying and Rufus was waiting for Reno's answer. In the meantime, the sector continued to burn, there was no time to waste.

"Is my team assembled?" he asked stoically, his hands coming up to rub his eyes.

"It is being done as we speak. They should be ready to move out on your command."

"You owe me, Rufus. You owe me big."

"And you'll be repaid in full. For now, my people are dying."

Reno nodded and picked his jacket up from the back of his chair. "I'll keep you briefed," he said, pulling his PHS out of his pocket. As he walked towards the elevator, he dialed his home number and waited. "Baby? Yeah, it's me." He entered the elevator and hit the 'door close' button. "Yes, from what I hear, it's pretty bad. It looks like I'll be working overtime, sweet. I'm sorry. Yeah, I'll call you before I come home. Alright, babe. I love you too."

---------------

Hanging up the phone, Tifa sadly leaned against the kitchen counter and sighed. She couldn't be mad at Reno. He was doing the right thing in staying. She'd have done it too; after all, people needed saving and that was nothing to get upset over.

Picking up her basket of laundry, she walked into the living room and paused to look at the television. The screen showed the carnage, the blaze that was only now beginning to die down. Helicopters were flying above ground zero, dropping water on the inferno. The newscaster had said that rescue teams couldn't go in until the flames were under control, or they'd be risking more lives unnecessarily.

She set the basket down and turned the television off. She didn't want Lena to come downstairs and see it. As she picked the basket back up, she headed towards the stairs and up to Lena's room.

It appeared that Lena was in the bathroom, so it gave Tifa ample time to put her clothes in her drawers. As she was doing so, she heard Wes' voice from his bedroom. Shaking her head, she straightened up and walked over to his door, pressing her ear against it. Sure it was wrong to spy, but at this point, Tifa felt that it was the only way she could monitor her sons actions.

"Yeah?" she heard an excited Wes. "Is it really like that? Do you think there's a lot of materia?" There was a pause before, "Awesome! Sure, I'll be there. Just give me ten minutes to meet you guys at the usual spot."

Had the boy forgotten that he was grounded? There was no way he was going anywhere, especially not to a place where there was a catastrophic explosion. She put her hand on the doorknob and was about to push her way into the room until this: "So, who's bringing the pot?"

She froze in her tracks. Surely, she couldn't have heard that correctly. Wes certainly had his faults, but being a drug user? This totally blindsided her. "Sweet…and the booze? Kris? How'd he get a hold of that? Oh damn, I hope his father doesn't find out. Last time he beat his ass back and blue for it."

Suddenly, an overwhelming anger took over Tifa, and she burst into the room. Wes only had enough time to turn around just as Tifa ripped the phone cord out of the wall, quickly ending his conversation with Lucius. He couldn't remember ever seeing his mother so angry in his life, and for a moment, he felt like a little boy all over again. "Mom?" he asked, trying to sound casual, but she could see the horror in his eyes.

"I hope, Wes, that I heard you wrong," she whispered dangerously. "Please tell me that you were only joking."

"Okay," he shrugged. "I was only joking. Will that help you sleep better tonight, mother?" His voice was dripping with disdain, and he stood up, appearing ready to defend himself. "Should I be afraid? I mean, father's not here to save me now, huh?"

"You are in so much trouble." Her voice shook in every word and she inched forward.

Wes rolled his eyes and dismissed her. "Same song as always mother. Hell, it's not even a different verse."

"Shut up!" she screamed, erupting at long last. "I'm trying to figure out what to do with you!"

"The more perverse, the better, I always say. Well, until you figure it out, I'll be downstairs watching television."

He tried to get passed her, but Tifa held her hands against the doorpost and blocked his path. "Not this time, Wes! We aren't talking about scouring Sector Seven anymore. This is worse! Not even your father will be able to make excuses for you this time."

"Why don't we wait for him to come home to find out?" he asked, his eyes challenging his mother in every way possible. "Until then…"

"WESLEY!" she shrieked, practically lifting him off the ground and tossing him onto his bed. He had not been expecting that. He lifted his head a fraction to stare at his mother who appeared to have a fire behind her eyes. "You've crossed the line, child. This time, you'll be punished and more."

"I'm not afraid of you," he spat. "And I'm not afraid of father either." He jumped up from the bed and stood in front of Tifa, staring her straight in the eye as if to challenge her anger. "Do your worst," he sneered.

Tifa reached out for him and clutched him by the collar. Without a word, she turned and dragged him down the steps while he struggled against the strength he underestimated. Before he realized it, they were in the living room and he had been thrown on the couch.

"I am so sick of this, Wes!" she shouted. "I'm sick of this attitude, your defiance. I just don't know what to do with you anymore. So, help me, Wes. What do you think I should do?"

"Forget you heard anything," he offered.

"I can't do that," she shook her head. "Nor do I believe you expected me to."

"Well," he shrugged, "it was worth a shot."

"I'm so lost," she said, looking down at him with anger and pain in her eyes. "I don't know how to punish you short of beating the ever living hell out of you. Is that what it'll take. For me and your father to beat you senseless before you give this up? 'Cause if that's the case, I'll be happy to do it."

"You won't touch me," he spat. "Neither will dad, so come off the act, mother. I know you better than that."

"What's going on?" They both spun around to the kitchen entrance where Cid and Shera stood, their youngest child in her arms. Cid stepped closer and looked at Tifa inquisitively. "Did we come at a bad time?" he asked.

"No," Tifa said triumphantly. "You came at an excellent time."

Cid only had to look at the situation for a moment to get the gist of it. Turning around to his wife, he motioned for her to take their child upstairs and then turned back to look at Wes. "What happened now?" he asked.

"None of your business, Cid. Why don't you mind your own family affairs and stay the hell out of my face?"

Right away, Wes regretted those words. He knew before hand that Cid was not a person to mouth off to, and yet, he went against his better judgment. Still, Cid didn't look that shocked, angry, or anything at all. He simply just took a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth. "I see," was all he said.

"This is what I have to deal with and more," Tifa told him.

Cid nodded as he lit the stick. "What the boy needs is a good back hand and a foot in the ass."


	8. Your Fault

**Tengoko: Sorry for the long wait...again. Thanks for all those who reviewed. Now, come on, you guys. I've got way more hits than reviews. I really want to know what you all think. So, please, Read and Review. Thank you.**

**Disclaimer: We know...  
Rathed M for language and romance**

**Chapter 8: Your Fault**

* * *

Silences- how peculiar they could be. At one point, they are welcomed and are embraced with much enthusiasm. At others, like this case, they were deadly, drawn out torturously, foreboding ill fortune. No sound; not even a breath could be heard over the thunderous tension that flooded the room.

Cid took the cigarette out of his mouth and extinguished it on his palm. It wasn't to intimidate Wes, which it did, but mostly because Tifa didn't have an ashtray for him. Stepping forward, he finally broke the uncomfortable uncertainty with a sigh. "What exactly are you hoping to get by all this?" he asked Wesley.

"What do you mean?" His voice was quiet, Cid's powerful eyes doing well to frighten the adolescent.

"I mean, why are you acting this way? What do you stand to gain?"

"I don't understand," Wes admitted. "I act this way because it's just the way I am."

"Bullshit, Wes. I know your parents did right by you. Why are you giving them such a damned hard time?"

Wesley shrugged nonchalantly before standing up. "It's just the way I am," he restated. "Like it or not. Now, I've got places to be and things to do." He took a step towards the front door, but Cid wasn't having it. Taking Wesley's elbow in hand, he clenched it, and then flippantly threw him back against the sofa.

"We don't like it, Wes. But you see, what you don't get is, we don't have to put up with it. That's the beauty of being the adult."

"You just threw me," he stammered, looking up at his mother.

"It's a lot less than what you deserve," Cid countered, stepping closer and leaning over him. "If you were my son, you certainly wouldn't be able to sit down for a week, let alone would you think about mouthing off to me." He then cocked his head up a bit and looked at Tifa. "In fact, I think that would be the perfect solution. Send him to live with me for a few months. That'll straighten him out."

"I would," Tifa began, her voice a strained calm, "but his father wouldn't like that."

"Well, then Reno needs to get on the ball and punish the kid himself."

"I'm not a kid," he said defensively.

"I have yet to see evidence to prove otherwise," Cid argued.

"I'm not a kid!" he said more defiantly.

"You are in my eyes, you little punk!" Cid shouted loudly. "And you are doing a horrible job of convincing me of your claim. If you want to be treated like an adult, then you'd better damn well act like one!"

Wesley stood up again and pushed, or at least tried to push, Cid's muscled mass out of the way. It was to no avail. If anything, he just pissed him off. "WES!" Tifa shouted, rushing forward to grab him. She was too slow. Cid put his hands on Wes' shoulders and pushed him back down.

"What were you trying to do, Wes? Push me? You really thought I'd let you get away with that? Do you not know me at all? Why, I ought to kick you're a…"

"Cid," Tifa snapped, noticing that Lena Mae was standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Lena, sweetheart, go back up to your room, please."

Lena nodded but gave Cid one last glare before obliging her mother. "Well, it's obvious that Lena can see you for what you really are, Cid. An abusive monster!"

"You think I'm an abusive monster now?" he gritted. "You just wait."

"Yeah, lay one hand on me and my father will hunt you down and shoot you down like…"

"Like what?" Cid inquired, looking rather amused now. "You think your father would stand up to me? You think your mother would let him?"

"He loves me more than he loves her," he blurted out, the last word practically marinating in disgust. "He'd do anything for me. Anything."

"I think you have been taking advantage of that for too long," Cid said. "You obviously don't realize how much your father loves your mother. If he knew the way you treated her, that would end this special treatment that you think he gives you, 'cause nobody talks down to his wife. Nobody. Not even his snot nosed brat of a son."

"I'm not a brat!" he shouted, standing up again. "It's not my fault that intellectually I'd surpassed my mother at the age of four."

"But you still have a lot to learn," Cid said, pushing him down again.

"Will you stop that?"

"Why? Does it bother you?" Cid asked, his voice threatening.

"Stop defending her," he ordered, his voice louder than ever. "She's not worth it. She's a horrible mother, a horrible person, and she doesn't deserve to be treated the way you treat her. It's her fault that I'm like this. Her fault that I drink and do drugs and do things that I'm not supposed to. It's all her fault."

Tifa froze, her lips quivered, and her eyes watered. He might not have noticed, or then again, he probably did it on purpose, but his words cut her like a knife through the heart. Knife? Hell, like bullets that shot straight through her, ripping through mercilessly and hatefully.

Cid's eyes widened. "Oh, spare me!" he shouted again. "Stop pretending like you've had life so hard. I know people all around the world who would kill to have a mother like the one you have."

"Then they can have her!"

"At least they'd be more grateful, you unthankful little bastard! You don't realize how lucky you've got it! There are orphans all around this city that would die to be in your shoes. There are children whose parents beat the shit out of them for no reason, and they'd laugh at you if you told them the story of your 'hard' life. You are so damned lucky!"

"You don't understand!" he shouted. "She's a bitch! A whore! A devious little pretender that somehow landed my dad! That was his biggest mistake! Falling in love with…with…with that!"

"Newsflash, Wes! Without 'that', there would be no you."

"You don't say?" he growled.

"Damn! It is a good thing you aren't my son! I'd kill you!" Cid looked back at Tifa who he could tell was fighting back her tears. It killed him to see her like that. He turned back to Wes and stared at him coldly. "It's funny…"

"What?"

"And here I thought that Tifa's biggest mistake…was you."

"CID!" Tifa gasped. "How could you say that?"

"Well, have you heard him lately. Obviously he's the spawn of some kind of demon."

"That's my son you are talking about," she cried.

"I realize that Tifa, but that attitude right there is exactly why he gets away with his own. He's right. You two have been major pushovers and as long as you continue to defend him and make excuses for him, he'll never, never change. Admit it, Teefs. You have a monster."

"That's not fair," she sobbed again.

"Fine, Tifa. Defend him. But, if you do, don't you dare start crying when he has another outburst like this. After all, he only gets away with as much as you let him."

"Shut the fuck up!" Wes shouted, flipping Cid the bird. Cid was about to respond until Tifa, catching him completely off guard, grasped Wes' finger and bent it backwards. He shouted in pain, though she had barely hurt him at all, and yanked it away from his mother. "Don't touch me, bitch!"

Unexpectedly, Tifa lifted her hand and brought it down hard on his cheek. Before it could register in his mind what had just happened, she bent over and put her finger in his face. "Don't you ever…EVER…talk to me like that again, young man. You couldn't even begin to imagine the patience that I've wasted on you up until now. I've had it! I won't put up with anymore! Do you hear me?"

"You hit me…you hit…"

"Damn right I hit you! And I'll do it again if I have to. Don't think for a second that I'm afraid to hit you. There's not a jury on this planet that would convict me."

"…you just wait until dad finds out."

"Yes," Cid said. "And while you're telling him that she hit you, which wasn't hard at all, you're just a pansy, you might as well tell him why. The drugs, the drinking, the words you called your mother, and that gesture you gave to me. I'm sure he'll be ready to take your side after all of that."

"Oh he'll take my side! I know he will! Because I'm his only son! It wasn't like that a few years ago, but it's like that now! I'm his only son because this bitch didn't know how to protect my brother."

This time, it was Cid who backhanded Wes, and it was considerably harder than the force Tifa had used. "How dare you!" he screamed. "Where do you get off saying things like that? Oh, you're venturing down places that you aren't ready to go, Wes, so you'd better decide right now if you want to continue."

Wes didn't say a word. He just held his cheek and curled into a ball on the couch. He looked up at his mother who seemed to be a pallet of different emotions: anger, sadness, pain, regret, and helplessness. He looked at her as though she were a stranger, a disgusting hag that wasn't worth his attention. And that's all she was to him…and not even he knew why.

"Go to your room, Wes," she said ominously quiet. "I'll call you back down once your father gets home. Until then, you wait."

Cid stepped aside and Wes bolted towards the staircase and up to his bedroom. The door slammed and the sound echoed throughout the house, waking Cid's daughter, Iris. Amazingly, she had managed to sleep through all the noise up to that point. Cid took a few steps towards the stairs just as Shera descended slowly, Iris in her arms.

"That went…well…" she commented, having no other words for it. Cid rolled his eyes as he took his daughter into his arms to comfort her.

Tifa smiled, though it went against her emotions, and walked over to Cid. "She's beautiful," she swooned. "You know, she looks just like Sally had at this age. Speaking of Sally, where is she…and the boys for that matter?"

"Sally is actually at a friend's house right now," he told her, his eyes not leaving his daughter. "She'll be here before dark. Oh, will we be taking Lena's room tonight?"

"Wes'," she said, twirling her fingers through Iris' spools of yellow curls.

"Lovely," Shera said, starting to dig through her diaper bag. "Anyway, Lachlan is still in military school, but he'll be here this weekend. Owen and Patrick are camping with their troop."

"They're such good boys," Cid said, looking at Tifa significantly.

"Cid…"

"Discipline is what did it. They'd never dream of raising their voice to me or Shera. They know we'd make their backsides raw."

"Wesley really is a good boy…I think…"

But she was quite wrong on many counts. For one, he had no intention of waiting for his father to get home, like his mother had told him to do. Also, he had every intention of going to Sector Eight with his friends to drink and possibly get high. But lastly, what they were all not privy to was, that her 'good boy' was, at that very moment, climbing down the drainpipe on the side of the house and taking off down the street.


	9. Materia and Gunfire

**Tengoko: Sorry for the long wait. I kind of got caught up on my other story. I know this chapter is kind of long, but it's what you have all been waiting for...angry Reno...grr! I enjoyed writing this chapter so much. But not as much as I'm going to enjoy writing the next chapter. That's all I'm going to say about that. Well, anyway, like I've said so many times, I really love reviews. Thanks. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine. The story is. But the characters aren't. More's the pity.  
Rated M for language and romance**

Chapter 9: Materia and Gunfire

* * *

"What took you so long?" Lucius asked just as Wesley jumped over the wooden fence to meet them. He didn't say anything at first; he just walked over to Kristian and nudged him. Kris handed him a can of beer, and as Wes opened it, Lucius asked again, "what in the hell too you so long to get here, man? We've been waiting for over thirty minutes for your lazy ass."

Wesley shrugged. "My mother found out that I was coming," he informed them all. "Let's just say it got pretty nasty. But, I'm here now. So what's the big deal?"

"It actually works this way," Viggo said, taking a drag from his cigarette. "The fires are mostly out now, it'll make it a lot easier for us."

"Yeah, there's still smoke to cover us, and at least the chances of getting hurt have gone down."

"Whatever, Kris," Wesley said, after taking a chug. "The danger of getting hurt is what makes it so thrilling."

"Well then," Lucius began, refusing Kris' offer of beer with a shake of his head. "Are we just going to stand around like idiots or are we going to go?" His answer was Wes throwing his empty beer can over the fence, and his slow departure. The three boys followed him down the street.

"What are you doing?" Viggo asked. "Do you know where you are going?"

"Sure do," he replied, coming to a halt at the tracks. "The train is scheduled to go by any minute. As you dorks well know, it goes through Sector Eight's Resident Sect. It'll take us right to it if we time our jump. So, don't be stupid and die, because I'm sure I'll feel no pity for you."

"What a kind and devoted friend," Lucius joked.

They all laughed. According to the time schedule, they'd only have to wait two minutes before the train came by, and since it operated on electricity, it was timed perfectly. The only trouble was, the train usually went faster than hell. It was a good thing Wes and his friends were no stranger to car hopping.

------------

"I'm going to kill him!" Tifa screamed, her feet pounding against the stairs as she rushed down. Cid looked up at her, annoyed at first that she had just stirred his sleeping babe, but then he stood up and handed Iris to Shera. "He's gone, Cid. He snuck out. Damn, I should have seen this coming. I should have known he would try something like this."

"That little…" Cid sneered and took a deep breath, suppressing the overwhelming urge to break something. He looked up at Tifa and sighed. "Do you know where he went?"

Tifa was frantic. She never could have imagined Wes would do something like this. Sure, the child was a pain in the ass, to say the least, but she thought that he had some respect for her. She was so distraught over the whole situation that she hadn't even heard Cid's question, just began pacing back and forth thinking about what she should do next.

"Tifa, calm down," Cid ordered, taking her by the shoulders to keep her still. "We'll find him, alright? I promise you that he'll be fine."

"I just can't believe he did this," she cried. "To think of the example he's setting for Lena Mae."

"She'll be fine too. Hell, she's better behaved than most kids her age anyway, so don't you worry about her."

"You were right, Cid. Had I just punished him like you said, he never would have thought to do this."

"Well you can't go blaming yourself now, Tifa," Shera said, trying to rock Iris back to sleep.

"Do you have any idea as to where he could have gone?" Cid asked, grabbing his coat and his keys.

"Most likely he's trying to get to Sector Eight. Oh, it's dangerous there. He shouldn't be there."

"Tifa, calm down," Shera said. "Isn't your husband there?"

"Yes. Tifa, call Reno. Tell him to keep an eye out for him."

Tifa nodded, finally a good idea, and quickly ran to the kitchen to grab the phone. She dialed so quickly that she actually messed up the first time, pressed to many numbers, before getting it right the second time. Two rings. Three. "Hello." His voice was like music to her ears.

"Reno!"

He could tell right away that something was off. Even though she had tried to keep her voice level, Reno could tell there was a bit of shakiness, and Tifa never got shaky, unless there was a damn good reason. "Tifa? What's the matter?"

"It's Wesley," she informed him. "He snuck out Reno. I think…I know that he and his friends are heading over to Sector Eight. That's what I overheard him say on the phone."

"What?" There was a pause. Tifa could only guess why, but Reno's reaction had apparently drawn the attention of some of his team members. He scowled at them and said "It's nothing. Get back to work." Then to her, "There's no possible way he will be able to get her fast enough Tifa. Just get in the car and start looking for him. You'll probably find him."

"And if he won't come with me?" she asked. "I know he'll refuse to come with me. He'll run again, and his friends will do everything they can to stop me from finding him."

"Tifa. You're the boy's mother. If he doesn't want to go home with you…make him." He paused again, this time to let the words sink in. "Look, I'll keep an eye out for him here, but I really doubt that he'll get here before you find him. On the slim chance that I do see him, I'll give you a call. Okay babe? Just relax. You'll find him."

"…Reno," she groaned. "What if something happens to him?"

Reno wasn't so worried about that. He had a good feeling that Wes had spent enough time in the slums and the ruins of Sector Seven to be perfectly capable of handling himself. So, unlike his wife, he wasn't afraid for his son. If anything, he was livid. "Something is going to happen to him," Reno said ominously. "He'd better hope you find him before I do, because I'm going to make sure he doesn't do this again."

------------

It took about half an hour for the train to get to Sector Eight, and then another fifteen minutes to walk to the ruin. It was chaotic to say the least. Shin-Ra had people running every which direction putting out flames, digging out survivors, and surveying the damage. It was really quite easy for the four boys to slip by unnoticed.

"Hey!" Viggo called out. "Cool. I already found something." He picked up the glowing orb and held it eye level. "How much do you think this will fetch?" he asked.

He handed it to Wesley who observed it carefully. "This will get us a hefty sum. There aren't many of these left."

"What spells does it cast?" Lucius asked, stepping closer to get a better look at it.

"Sleepel. I can see how this thing would come in handy. I'll bet it could work wonders on my mother." This elicited a laugh from all of them. "Come on, let's keep looking. I'm sure there are plenty of things to uncover."

They continued to go deeper into the rubble, towards the epicenter. Along the way, they uncovered potions, some more, common materia that wouldn't be worth too much, but enough, and a lot of antidotes. It wasn't surprising. Ever since the Shin-Ra Corporation replaced the Mako Reactors with Power Plants, it became apparent the sacrifices that had to be made. In short, many of the factory workers would sometimes fall ill do to some toxic gases that resulted from the burning of rare fossil fuels. So, antidotes had to be made expressly for factories.

"Not a bad day," Wes said, cramming a bottle of antidote into Kristian's bag. "That should do it."

"We're going to have to walk back, huh?" Viggo asked, getting down heartened.

"But look on the bright side," Lucius began.

Unfortunately, they never got to find out what the bright side was. Between a flurry of 'halt' and 'freeze,' all the boys really thought to do was run in the opposite direction. But it was pointless to try to outrun the troopers. There was only one thing left to do, and Wes would be damned if he surrendered.

------------

"That's right. He's about this tall, dark hair that comes right down to his shoulders, and blue eyes. Like mine." Reno had described his son more times than he could count within the last five minutes. He told everybody who could spare a second to keep an eye out for Wes, even though he hoped his son would have enough sense not to come.

He was about to walk off when somebody tapped him on his shoulder. Reno wheeled around and reflexively put his arms up in defense. Rude jumped back a bit and did the same. "Whoa, Reno. You'd been a Turk for too long, I'd say."

"Oh. It's just you," he said, putting his hands down.

"I heard the boys talking about Wes. You know, if Rufus finds out that he was here…"

"I know very well what would happen."

"And the press…if they…"

"Rude!" Reno snapped. "I don't need to be reminded. But, as it is, I could care less about the fucking campaign right now."

Rude didn't say anything. In fact, Rude appeared to have not heard a word Reno said at all. Instead, he removed his shades and squinted his eyes. "What in the bleeding hell…?" Reno turned around to see what he was talking about. "What are the firing at?"

The gunshots had only now began. But something had made the troopers start shooting. Something…or some one. A trooper began running passed them towards the fight when Rude put a heavy hand on his shoulder and pulled him back. "What's all this about?" he asked.

"Some kids…they attacked Shin-Ra troopers with magic."

"Kids?" Reno turned pale. In that same instant, Rude and Reno took off. It was then that they saw them, in the distance, hiding behind scraps of metal, occasionally firing spells from materia. The dark mop of hair was all to recognizable. "STOP!" he screamed. "CEASE FIRE! CEASE FIRE! THAT'S MY SON!"

Reno actually grabbed onto one of their rifles and yanked it away from them. Rude kept going forward, dodging a bolt spell that Viggo had just cast, and in next to no time, had grabbed Wes by the collar and lifted him off the ground. Wes responded by kicking and screaming, struggling to get out of the iron hard grip that Rude had him in.

"Put me down damn it!" Wes wondered why the others weren't helping him. It hadn't occurred to him that they'd bolt the second they saw Rude coming. Some friends they were. It didn't matter though, Shin-Ra troops would catch them soon enough.

"You've gone too far this time," Rude said, carrying him back to his father.

Wes' eyes finally found Reno who looked beside himself with anger. Rude dropped Wes in front of him, only so he could be grabbed by the back of his neck and yanked back up to his feet. Wes didn't bother trying to fight him. It was useless. All he could do was run to keep up with his father's long strides until he was thrown into the passenger's seat of a van.

"Rude. I leave this in your hands. I won't be coming back tonight."

Rude nodded and then tapped the door, signifying that he could go now. Reno didn't need his permission. He practically floored it, and sped off. Of course, he eventually did call Tifa to tell her that he had him, but other than that, he was hauntingly silent.

"Dad. Go ahead and yell at me. Take her side, just like you always do."

"You don't want to talk to me right now, Wesley," he warned.

"I knew it. You're going to be mom's little lapdog again. What a fucking coward."

Reno suddenly slammed on the breaks and grabbed Wesley's ear. They were face to face now, and a fire that Wesley had never seen was burning in his father's eyes. "What did you say?" It was as if he dared him to say it again. And Wesley was either bold enough, or stupid enough to do it.

"I said that you were a fucking coward." Then he let out a cry of pain as Reno pulled at his hair and brought him even closer. "Dad…stop! You're hurting me!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" He screamed. It was rather intimidating. Wesley had never heard his father yell before. "Those were mighty big fighting words for somebody who can't take pain. I can't believe I've raised you to be such a fucking pain in the ass."

"…dad?"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Again, Wesley was stunned into silence. "You might be able to get away with saying things like that with your mother, but I'll be damned if I let you say them to me. You've been taking too many things for granted lately, and it's time that I give you a dose of reality, even if I have to beat it into your fucking skull all night."

"Fuck you!" Wesley said, getting bold again. Then he yelped as Reno actually pulled him so hard, that the seat belt snapped in half.

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!" He shouted dangerously. "IF I HEAR ONE MORE FUCKING SOUND COME OUT OF YOUR MOUTH, YOU ARE GOING TO REGRET THE FUCKING DAY THAT YOU WERE BORN! HELL, I KNOW I DO!"

Then there was silence again, mostly because of Reno's words. Even he had shocked himself by saying them. And he felt horrible about it too. Not because he didn't think that Wes didn't deserve it. No, he knew he deserved it, and more, which is what he was going to get. But that was just it. It could only get uglier now. Damn, what a mess.


	10. Like Father

**Tengoko: Sorry again for not updating sooner. But I'm doing two stories at once, which means twice the updating, the time, the dedication. Actually, that other story was more likea spur of the imagination for me, so that's why I'm doing two at once. But I figured, update this one, then that one, this one, that one. So on. Well, I'm rambling now. So, I'll just shut up and let you all read the story.**

**Disclaimer: yadda yadda...  
Rated M for language and romance**

Chapter 10: Like Father...

* * *

It was going to be a long night. That was definitely no secret as far as anybody was concerned. Wesley had hoped for the best. Hoped that his mother had gotten tired and had gone to bed, would put off her anger until tomorrow. He had hoped that his father had gotten his fury out of his system, would deem Wesley punished. And that would be that. But, what Wes failed to realize was, this was the real world. Not an ideal that he could manipulate for his own purposes.

Reno dragged him back into the house, slammed the door behind them, and pushed Wesley to the fore front, standing between his father, his mother, and Cid. Without a doubt the worse place to stand. It was almost like facing the firing squad. No. This was worse. Death would be preferable to what he was about to endure.

Usually, he'd try to break the tension with a witty, sarcastic and otherwise unnecessary comment, meant to annoy but in all other ways, lighten the situation. But, he knew better. Wes was no fool, though he had done nothing thus far to prove otherwise. Instead, he bent his head down, admitting that he was in the fault, and then ventured a look at his mother.

What to say? What to do? She looked damn well murderous. On the verge of tears. Her eyes were bloodshot. Her fists were clenched. She seemed so dangerous. Obviously, there was nothing to say to change that. Not even a simple apology would fix this, even if he meant it, which he would have.

It couldn't be any worse, could it? Well, he supposed it could. He learned that through past experiences. Everything could always get worse. Even so, he really couldn't fathom a situation that would surpass this one. And the horrible part was, the thing that drove him insane; there was absolutely no way to talk himself out of this one.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Tifa asked, her voice a menacing quaver. Her hands were on her hips, he could tell that her tongue was in her cheek. But, he couldn't believe that she actually expected him to answer that question. Sure, he'd answer it. If he wanted to go to an early grave, which he had no intention of doing just yet.

"Answer her," Cid demanded. Wesley inwardly shrugged. It seemed there was no way of getting out of this one, no matter how hard he would have tried.

"I have nothing to say for myself," he admitted, only bowing his head again. Would that be good enough? It was almost as if he outright admitted that he was wrong, which would be somewhat of a breakthrough for him.

"Oh. Surely you've worked up some excuse," Cid added, his voice no better than hers. "What were you possibly thinking, sneaking out like that? And to Sector Eight no less! Were you out of your mind or did your brain just experience some sort of lapse?" Again, with the unanswerable questions. But this one was a winner. He really was dead set against answering this one. Either admit to insanity or tell them that he was outright stupid.

"It doesn't matter. What's done is done and you've got to buck up and face whatever consequences your father and mother have in store for you. You know, you're just lucky your father found you and not some maniac."

"I know," he said softly. But, really, it wasn't the maniacs that frightened him. He'd dealt with them before, though his parents didn't know. And each time, he came out on top. But for now, it fit his purposes to just agree with his godfather.

"Cid," Reno finally spoke. "Do you think you could leave him to us? We've got a lot to talk about…in private." The last words could not mean well for Wes. He spun around slowly to look at his father, and coward before anger and power of his blue eyes. So benign in most cases, benevolent even. Not so now. He'd never seen such eyes, full of rage and mal intent.

Cid nodded and departed, leaving Wesley alone with his mother and his father. "Have a seat, Wesley," Tifa ordered.

Oh, this was too much. His mother was going to play the peacemaker while his father chewed him out? That would definitely be different. A change the he was hardly expecting. Either way, he listened to her, not willing to push her leniency. He made his way to the couch only to notice his father whispering something in Tifa's ear. Suddenly, she looked even more livid than before, and that's saying something.

"You attacked Shin-Ra soldiers?" she yelled in disbelief. Wesley wasn't surprised. He had the craziest suspicion that that's what his father was telling her. After all, he had conveniently failed to mention it when he called her.

"I didn't," Wes said, truthfully if you could believe that. "Lucius did. He freaked out and just started shooting all kinds of spells at them. I tried to stop him, but it didn't help that Viggo and Kristian started doing it too. Gods, do you actually think I'm stupid enough to attack people who work for Shin-Ra? That means I'll have to tangle with the Turks, and I've heard stories about them that would make your skin crawl."

"That's just the beginning of you problems, Wes," Reno warned. "You have more to fear from me than any Turk. I'm going to make the next few months of your life an utter hell. It goes without saying that you are grounded, but that wouldn't do much as you were grounded before anyway. Damn it! What am I supposed to do with you?"

"Was that a rhetorical question or would you really like an answer?" Damn, he was getting tired of those.

"Will you shut up?" he snapped. "I've had enough, Wes! Too much!"

"Well, you certainly picked an opportune time to tell me," Wes shouted. "You should have been more like mom, and been a constant, incessant nag since I was eight. Of course, that's when she became convinced that I was some kind of demon spawn."

"Wesley, didn't I tell you before, that I don't want to hear a sound come out of your mouth?"

"Shut up, dad!"

"Oh, we're back to this game, are we?" Reno asked. "You really want to try to match wits with me boy, and having a screaming contest while we're at it. I'll shred you to pieces, and then some."

"Oh, please father. You wouldn't even breathe without mother's permission."

"What?"

"You do everything she tells you to do. It doesn't matter what it is or how it gets done. If your little wife wants something you'll turn the world over to get it for her. She's got you whipped and good. Hell. You wouldn't blink unless she willed it."

Reno stared at him before stepping closer and leaning down to hover over him. "You've gone too far, Wes."

"Truth hurts, doesn't it pop? And that's all it is. It's the truth. She's got you on a damned leash. I'll bet she's even got whistles for you. But that's okay. Maybe one day I'll fall in love and realize that there might be benefits to beings somebody's damned lapdog."

"Just keep pushing it," Reno warned.

"Don't mind if I do. You want to know why I'm like this? Why I'm acting this way?"

"He blames me," Tifa said. "For everything. Including Hayden."

"But it wasn't just you, mother," Wesley began maliciously. "Father was there too. In fact, father had been holding Hayden right before both of you got shot. But, why did you get shot? Well, here's a hint. It wasn't because of mom!"

A crack and a scream. Those were the only two sounds that followed. Reno had finally been pushed too far. Far enough to raise a hand to his son. Far enough to whip it against his son's face; to leave a mark redder than his hair. Wesley cried out when the back of his father's hand made contact with his cheek, and then fell on the couch, now lying down.

It took him a moment to look up. His father was still standing over him, as though waiting for him to say something else. To give him a reason to hit him again. But then, Tifa stepped up and put her hand on Reno's shoulder, and even though he threw it off, it seemed to calm him down anyway.

"Wesley," Tifa said quietly. "Please go upstairs. Go to your room. Shera and Lena are in there so don't try anything."

Wesley nodded, still holding his cheek, and in a daze, made his way for the steps. The moment he was out of sight, Reno groaned and fell onto the couch, burying his face in his hands.

"Reno, that wasn't your fault." Tifa sat next to him and draped her arm over his shoulders. "I would have hit him long before then."

"I promised myself that I would never hit my children."

"There was nothing else that you could have done. We've tried everything. Grounding didn't work. Yelling really doesn't work. We were at a dead end and he gave us little choice. You were right to hit him."

"No. Nothing excuses what I did," he cried.

"Reno. You hit him once. Surely, that does not constitute as abuse, baby."

"I just…can't shake the feeling that I let him down. I can't believe that I hit him."

What else was there to say? Tifa knew she couldn't convince him that he was right. She couldn't blame him for feeling that way. When a man's greatest fear is becoming much like his abusive father, there really were no words of comfort to use when they actually hit their child.

Reno stood up while taking a deep breath. At first, he seemed like he was just content standing there, staring off into the kitchen and out the window into their backyard. But then, he turned to face Tifa and held his hand out to help her stand up.

"Am I really that horrible?" he asked.

"I don't think so," she said, putting her arms around him. "And I'm sure Lena Mae doesn't think so either. And neither will Alyianna," she said, rubbing her stomach. "Reno, you are a good man. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"Until I start believing it," he answered.

* * *

**Tengoko: What did you think? I realize that the chapter's short and all, but this was the last chapter before...ahem...mayhem. Don't want to give too much away, but just so you know, the shit is about to hit the fan, so to speak. But like I said, divulging too much would be bad. Anyway. Reviews are appreciated, as always. Thanks.**


	11. Kidnapped

**Tengoko: OOO! I liked writing this chapter. I think it is my favorite so far. The turning point. The big BAM! Okay, getting carried away. I do that sometimes. Anyway, I think you'll all like this chapter. Seeing a different side of a character you've figured was pretty static is always fun. At least, I think so. Still, while I like the chapter, I would love to know what you all think. So, please review. I'm not begging, just asking. I'd do the same for all of you. I'm sorry. I'll shut up now so you can read.**

**Disclaimer: It's here. That's should suffice for now.  
Rated M for language and romance**

**Chapter 11: Kidnapped**

* * *

Three pictures on the nightstand. The first; surrounded by a golden frame and concealed behind dusty glass, showed a day about two years ago. Wes remembered that day vividly. Lena had been two years old, and it had been her first trip to the beach. She was pictured sitting with her mother behind a sand castle that they'd built together. It was small, but the child seemed proud of it nonetheless, sporting an expression that could rival DaVinci's pride over the Mona Lisa or the Last Supper. It was her masterpiece, her tour de force. Wesley was right above the castle; his intent was to jump on it, something he thought would be hilarious. His father hadn't thought so, which is why Reno was holding him around the waist with a droll expression on his face, but wearing a smirk even so. Wes smiled as he looked at it. It had been the last family vacation they'd been on. They'd been a family then.

The second; Wesley couldn't have been more than six years old in the picture. It had been around Christmas, he remembered that much. He stood in the back yard in front of a snowman that he had built. His mother had helped him because he wanted it finished before his father got home. Reno had taken the picture; Wes wore a smile that spoke of every innocence a child was expected to possess. Behind him, crouched in the snow, was his mother who had her arms wrapped around him, smiling just as brilliantly. It was strange how happy they looked together- how well they looked together. They'd been so close back then.

The third; He was a baby, no more than a few months old. The picture was black and white which suited the picture better. It wouldn't have been the same had it been in color, and it was by far Wesley's favorite. He'd been wrapped in a blanket, a small one, and all that could be seen of him was his head and a single, tiny hand that protruded from the cloth. His small fingers were wrapped around a larger one, a finger that belonged to his father. Reno was holding him securely against his chest, staring down at him with more love than Wes could fathom. It had to have been great, for that love could still be seen when he looked at the picture. It had brought him so many comforts when he was afraid. All he had to do was look at the picture and know that no matter what happened, his father would always love him. But now, he'd probably ruined all that.

His father had more or less called him a mistake. Somebody he regretted. He might as well have just told him that he wished it had been him instead of Hayden that day all those years ago. It probably would have made it easier on everybody. Wesley wasn't in denial about that. He knew he was a pain, he knew that Hayden wouldn't have been.

Hayden had been a very agreeable child. He remembered that. He rarely cried, only got fussy when the occasion merited it; like when he was starving, thirsty or needed his diaper to be changed. He smiled a lot, enjoyed being held, enjoyed attention. He was also very smart for a child his age. He was walking well before any baby could have been expected to, was already beginning to string words together like 'want up' and 'want mommy,' 'want daddy.' By now, he'd be the model of a perfect child, smart, amiable, totally devoted to his mother and father, and the perfect role model for Lena Mae.

But, they'd never know now. Why? Because his baby brother got killed because of him. Because of him. For years, that truth echoed endlessly within his mind, tormented him before sleep, burdened him throughout the day. He'd carry that fact with him until his dying day, that his brother returned to the life stream because of him. If only he hadn't been whining that day, if only he had behaved, his father wouldn't have given Hayden over to Tifa, the person the bullet was aimed at. His mother would have lived. There would have been no doubt. He knew his mother was a survivor. But, had he not made his father give Hayden to her so he could pick him up instead, Hayden would have been spared the bullet, and he'd have a little brother.

Sure, he could blame his mother and father until the day he died. But, he knew, even now as he blamed them, that he was only fooling himself, making excuses for a wrong he knew would condemn him after this life-that condemned him now. That's why he pushed himself away. It was much easier for him to make them shoulder the blame if he didn't like them. But, in truth, he knew this solution could only last a few more years before it finally would sink in and then he'd have nobody. His brother was dead. And it was all-all because of him.

Gods. Why did he have to think about it now? Whenever he did, his heart would start pounding and he'd feel as if a fire were spreading through his body beginning at his chest. Panic. There was no disguising the sensation. No avoiding the reality of what his past entailed. Oh, the walls were closing in on him. Visions of his brother's final moments, the gun shot, the blood- oh there was so much blood. He began to see crimson, the red that poured from his mother's shoulder, the red that soaked his brother. He jumped up. He needed to get out, to go out where the walls wouldn't trap him.

Shera looked up from the book she was reading. At first she was annoyed, but then she noticed something, a very strange gleam in the child's eyes- a familiar mannerism that she knew a child shouldn't be capable of. Fear, absolute and extreme. Fear like no other. She'd only seen it once, and it was as she was giving birth to Owen, when the midwife had told her that he wouldn't survive. Her husband had come up to be with her in those decisive moments before delivery, and she saw that fear in his eyes, a fear she hoped she'd never see again.

She closed her book and stood up. "Wesley?" she began, walking up to him. She looked over at Lena Mae, who had woken up from her slumber and had crawled to the edge of her bed. "Are you alright?"

"I've got to…" but he never finished. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out an orb. "I'm sorry," he said, before she could even realize what it was. Sleepel. She was on the ground before she knew it was coming. She wasn't hurt, only asleep. Wesley looked over at Lena as he pocketed the materia.

"Wesley, what are you doing?" Lena asked,

"Lena, I'm sorry. Tell Shera that I if I hurt her, I didn't mean to. Promise me, okay."

"Why?" she asked, getting off the bed. "Where are you going?"

"Lena, just…just stay, please." Wesley walked over to the window, opened it, and wrapped his arms around the drain pipe.

"Wesley," Lena said again. He ignored her and proceeded to climb down.

As his feet found the pavement, he suddenly was struck with the thought that he had no idea what to do now. He was outside. That was a start. The walls couldn't close in on him here. But, he also knew that Lucius and his other so-called friends wouldn't be available right now, especially if their parents found out about their misadventure, and they most likely had. There was only one other choice. Walk and figure it out later.

But even as he started walking towards the street, he heard a clunking sound behind him. Turning around, he saw that Lena Mae had climbed down the drain pipe as well, even managing to do it whilst holding her Mog. Wes was beside himself. She stopped in front of him and stared up at him expectantly.

"You can't come," he told her.

"I'm going to anyway. Every time you sneak out, you always manage to get yourself into trouble. If I come with you, maybe I'll be able to keep you out of it."

"Lena, you're only four years old. If anything, you are going to be the trouble. If mom finds out I let you come with me, it'll be my neck."

"Wes. You're my big brother. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"You're not the one who's supposed to be protecting me. In fact, it's the other way around. And the best thing for you to do is go back and make sure that Shera's alright."

"I can't climb back up," she said truthfully. "The only way back in his through the front door, and then mom and dad will know that you've gone. That doesn't give you very much time to run does it? And then dad will find you and then you'll really get it. So, it seems you have no choice but to take me with you."

Wesley just stared at her for a second. "How is it that you are so devious and you're only four?"

"I learned it from you," she said, smiling.

"It's nothing to be proud about," he admitted, turning around to walk.

She walked behind him, smiling, excited to be going on her very first adventure with her brother, having him all to herself and not having to deal with his moronic friends. Sure, Lucius wasn't that bad. She even liked him a little. He treated her well when the others weren't around, bought her sodas and candy. He even talked to her whenever Wesley was off doing something or other, and she'd grown rather fond of him if truth be told. Of all his friends, Lucius was the best.

Wes kept turning around, making sure that Lena was still there and hadn't wandered off. After they'd been walking for a while, he stopped and held his hand out for her. She just stared at it, not knowing what he wanted her to do. "Take my hand, Lena," he said tenderly. "I don't know what kind of people come out at this time, and I've got to protect you if anything happens."

She could have cried. He really did care. Smiling, she ran up to take his hand, and began walking again, this time with a bounce in her step. Wesley noticed, and he smiled to himself. Was it possible that she actually looked up to him? After the way he'd treated her, she still wanted to be close to him? What a sweet girl.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"I don't know. I just had to get out of the house for a little while." He was silent for a moment. "Lena, I want you to make me a promise. When you grow up, I don't want you to be like me."

"There's nothing wrong with you, Wes," she said, her smile vanishing. "You just convinced yourself that there is. See, mom and dad don't see that. They just see what you show them. But I know better. They see your body. I see your heart. You've got a good heart. It's just been confused."

"How is it that you got to be so wise?" he asked, awed by his sister's perception.

"I learned that from you too," she said, beaming. "Wesley, whatever it is that you think you did, you can't let it destroy you anymore. I never met Hayden. But, from what I can tell, everybody blames themselves for what happened. Mom blames herself for not stopping the bullet, dad blames himself for not protecting them, and you blame yourself too. But I don't know why."

Wesley frowned. "It doesn't matter. It's over with, like you said."

"It does matter," she protested. "It matters because your guilt is what's pushing you away from mom. I know you love her. She loves you too. I just wish that you both could work it out."

"We will. One day."

"I know you will," she said, confidence ever present in that chipper voice of hers.

Wes smiled again, but suddenly, a man, a rather funny looking man, stepped out of the shadows and stopped in front of the two children. Instinctively, Wesley moved Lena behind him and looked up at the man.

He had green eyes, not bright green, not even a beautiful green. It was an olive green, the kind that you would related to a murky ocean or a sick complexion. His eyes alone let Wesley know that this man was no friendly character. But, it didn't stop there. His smirk gave him away too. Only half his mouth was curved upward, giving him a deranged look. A look that Wesley didn't trust by half. He looked disheveled, his black hair was a mess, and his skin was so pallid, it was if the man hadn't seen the sun for years.

"Don't I know you?" the man asked with glee. "You're eyes look oh sofamiliar, as do hers." He looked around at Lena who was cowering behind her brother. "Oh…yes. I remember now. Mr. Storm. Yes, yes. Who doesn't know him? I suspect that you are his children."

"That's right!" Wesley shouted. "So don't even think about pulling anything funny."

"Oh no. I wouldn't dream of it," he said strangely, giving Wesley the impression that it's exactly what he was dreaming of. "I respect your father. Of course, he doesn't know that. In fact, he's quiet hell bent on killing me."

That did it. If his father wanted this man dead, than he definitely wasn't to be trusted. He gripped Lena's hand tighter and turned to run. But the man's hand clasped around his shoulder and held him to his spot. "I'm not going to hurt you, boy," he said. "I knew your father, you see. And, I knew your mother too. You look like her. That's why you're appearance struck me. It was like going back thirteen years."

"Listen, sir," Wesley began. "I don't know who you are or what you want. But if it this is all about catching up with my parents, than you've got the wrong person. I won't lie. I don't trust you a bit. In fact, you didn't even have to talk to give me that notion. So, let go of me now, sir or my father will hear about this."

"No," he said slowly. "I don't think he will." Suddenly, his arms came around Wesley, gripped him around his neck actually, and pulled him firmly against him.

Wesley cried out, struggled a bit but knew that he wasn't going anywhere. He released Lena's hand and screamed, "RUN! LENA, RUN!" And she did. But, it was too late. The man had henchmen, two of them. And they chased her down. Wesley saw them picking her up and roughly tossing her over one of the men's shoulder. Hearing her scream was the worst sound he'd ever heard in his life. Worse than the gunshot. Then, something came over his head, a bag of sorts, and that was the last he saw.


	12. Mental Torture

**Tengoko: Third update today. Tengoko's on a roll. That or I have no life. Well. This chapter was a little difficult. By the time I finished writing it, I was up to thirteen pages. So, I edited it and cut some parts out to make it shorter. I think I did an alright job. Nothing is lacking from what I can tell. Mostly minute, irrelevant details were what got put on the chopping block. Either way. I'd love reviews. I can't stress enough how much they help me. Oh, and one more thing. I want to ask youall something, but I'll do it at the end of the chapter. Well, until then. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: FF7. Not mine. I swear.  
Rated M for language and romance**

**Chapter 12: Mental Torture**

* * *

How long had it been raining? He didn't know. He didn't care. It seemed so trivial. Everything seemed that way lately. His family was falling apart all around him, and just when he thought he had patched things up, somewhere along the way, something else would fall to pieces. 

He stared down at his hands. Had it really been thirteen years? He could still remember how it felt to hold him for the very first time. That moment, that euphoria that had filled his heart the second he looked into his son's eyes, that in itself could sum up the joys of fatherhood. Wesley was his pride. His joy. He gave all his heart to his son. And now, it felt more and more like he had let him down. He had failed his son.

His fingers began to tremble. How he missed those days. When Wesley was small enough to fit in his arms. It didn't seem that long ago, but deny it as he may, his son had grown. He could no longer hold him close to keep him safe and protected. No longer could he keep him sheltered all the time. He was facing the world. That's not what hurt. What hurt was, the world was getting the best of him.

Reno felt a tightening in his chest. He was struggling. Not now. He couldn't cry now. Not with Tifa there. He took a deep breath to hold it in. Still, a few tears snuck passed the defense he'd quickly set up. It didn't matter. She didn't see. She was behind him, her cheek resting on his back, her arms wrapped around his waist.

"I don't know how to help him anymore," Reno said, rubbing his hand over Tifa's much smaller one. He wasn't crying, true. But Tifa could hear in his voice that he had been on the brink. She'd been married to him, loved him long enough to know his different traits and what they meant.

"Just keep trying, is all we can do, babe. We have to let him know that we aren't going to give up on him, no matter how hard this is going to get. Most importantly, we have to keep telling him that we love him, unconditionally and forever."

Reno nodded and then turned to face his wife. Her crimson eyes bore into his, trying to read his soul. A few years ago, he never would have let her. That was just in his nature to do; shut the entire world off. Even those he cared most about. But now, he let her see. His pain. His grief. His remorse and regret. Everything. And it spilled out surprisingly in the form of tears.

She pulled him into her arms. She hated it when he was like this. It was a rare thing to see him cry. Last time he had, it was in the courtroom during the murder trial. That spoke infinite numbers of his pain. At least he wasn't sobbing. That would have undone her, and then they'd both have been crying.

"It's not too late for him," she whispered in his ear. "Redemption is always possible. And he's a good boy. He'll come back to us…when he's ready."

She felt him wipe away his tears. It was incredible how quickly he could trounce them. One second to feel sorrow so great, the next to completely ignore it. It was a talent. She only knew of two people who mastered it. Vincent…and her husband.

"He still loves us," she assured him. "I know he does."

"I never doubted that," he said. "But, he must be feeling so alone right now. And there's nobody who can help him because he won't let us. It's as if he's determined to face this on his own."

"Sounds like somebody I know," she said with a wink. "He's shaping out to be just like his father."

"Let's just hope my relationship with him is profoundly greater than I had with my father."

"Oh, you have nothing to worry about, babe," Tifa said with a smile. "He admires you. He tells everybody else that much. Of course, he'd never tell you. It'd probably embarrass him to know I told you."

"Even so, I needed to hear it." He hugged her tightly and then stepped back, looking out the window once again. Tifa watched him carefully for a few seconds and then turned around to get ready for bed.

The pounding on their door made both of them jump. Without waiting for permission, Cid burst into the room, mad as hell, and slammed the door behind him. "Your little brat of a son used his damn materia on my wife. On MY wife!"

"What?" they both asked at once.

"Is she hurt?" Tifa pressed.

"No. It was cast sleepel. But that's beside the point. He had no right to do that." He took a deep breath after that, as though he were trying to force a calm disposition now. "With that out of the way, I think you both should now…he's gone."

"WHAT?"

"And wherever he went, Lena's with him."

Reno suddenly got angry again. Tifa knew why. It's one thing to do something stupid and put yourself in danger. It's another matter completely when you involved somebody else. Particularly when that 'somebody else' was his darling daughter. "That child…" His words trailed off as if he couldn't trust himself to say another word.

"You've got to go look for them," Tifa told him. "They could be in danger, especially at this time of night. And Lena's only four years old. She must be so afraid."

"I wouldn't count on it," Cid commented. "That daughter of yours is something else. It'd take a lot to frighten her."

"That's more or less irrelevant," Reno muttered. "Cid, would you mind coming with me to look for them? I don't trust myself alone with my son right now."

"Nah, I don't mind. Just let me go tell Shera and I'll meet you downstairs."

Reno angrily crossed the room and picked up his jacket which he had deposited on their dresser. Slipping into it, he gave Tifa an furious glare. "I've had just about enough of this," he told her. "I can't stand this anymore. If he doesn't shape up, I'm sending him…hell…I don't know where. But I can't have him putting Lena Mae in danger like this. Once could maybe pass as an accident, but this is the second time he's gone and done something this…this…moronic. I can't wait around for a miraculous salvation from Wesley if, in the meantime, he's going to endanger my little girl."

Tifa couldn't argue with that. How could she? He was right. If Wesley was foolish enough to take Lena out on one of his nighttime escapades, he had another thing coming. Not only would Reno not stand for that, she wouldn't tolerate it either. "Alright," she said, forcing a level tone. "When you find him we'll sit down and discuss what we're going to do. It just, this time, we won't let him out of our sight."

"I can't even begin to describe how angry I am," he said, as he yanked his bedroom door open and strode into the hall. Tifa followed him and then waited at the bottom of the stair with Shera as their husbands were getting ready to leave. It was mere coincidence that the telephone rang then, but Reno looked like he was in no mood to be bothered by that just now.

Tifa shrugged and walked into the kitchen. She couldn't be as flippant about it as her husband. For all she knew, it was Wesley on the end. "Hello," she greeted as casually as she could.

"Hello…is this the Storm residence?"

Tifa froze. That voice. She knew that voice well. Too well. Nearly fourteen years ago. No. It couldn't be. How could he have gotten he number? They weren't listed, and Reno was careful about who he handed it out to. Well. Maybe she was wrong. Jumping to conclusions.

"Are you still there?"

"Who's this?" she asked, hoping beyond hope that it wasn't him. Anybody but him.

"That hurts, Mrs. Storm. After all the time we spent together. Insulting really. Regardless, _I've_ missed you. Interesting subject you were. _Very_ interesting. Yes. Yes. It was such a pity that you were taken from me so soon. No matter. _We'll_ make up for that, won't we? Indeed. Indeed we will."

"What do you want, Manning?" There was no mistaking the fear in her voice. Blast. She still had scars from this man. The torture. She remembered it too vividly. She still dreamt about it. And her fear, she knew, was feeding him. That's why he was laughing. Cold. Maniacal. It sent cold shivers down her spine.

"Tifa?" Reno had heard. He'd been watching her to see if the phone call had been from Wesley. He knew right away that it wasn't. But something else had been wrong. He knew it by the way she tensed up. Now he knew why. "Give me the phone."

It was as if she hadn't heard him. "As fascinating as you were," he continued after the laughter subsided, "you're husband was _far_ more intriguing. Quite a unique specimen really. His tolerance to pain was like none other I've seen before. In fact, only _one_ specimen ever came close to rivaling that threshold."

She knew he was talking about her. "You sick fuck, Manning! How the hell did you get this number?"

He tsked at her for a few seconds before chuckling once again. What an unnerving laugh the man had. And his voice. There was something different about it too. Smoother. Softer. Dangerous even. When she'd last seen him, it had been different. At least back then, he'd sounded human enough. Now. He was something else entirely. Void of a soul.

"Curiosity," he said, but not to her. He was now talking to himself. "A very remarkable emotion. Perhaps I will study that next. Yes. Yes. Would be a pity not to. And there's so much to do. I must still perfect my studies on pain. Sleep teaching. Yes. Yes. That's what I'll do with..._them_. Perfection. Yes. Yes."

"Manning! Answer me damn it!"

Again. More laughter. "You ask how I got your number?" He let it hang there for a few seconds. To build anticipation? Perhaps. Or maybe he expected her to answer. She didn't. And when he realized that, he continued. "Quite simply, really. Amazing how well persuasion works."

"Who gave it to you?"

"And when persuasion fails," he continued as though she'd never said anything, "torture works wonders too. Yes. Yes. Torture works _endless_ wonders. So, you ask how I got your number? I'd be glad to tell you. I got it…from your daughter."

The world seemed to stop. Tifa's eyes flashed wide. She stopped breathing. No. He was lying. He had to be lying. There was no way he had Lena Mae. No way in hell. But then, why was she so afraid all of a sudden? Because she knew he was telling the truth. She only wished he wasn't.

Her whole body shook. Helpless. So utterly helpless. The sick, demented man had her daughter. Her only daughter. Her flesh and blood. Oh, he was going to hurt her. Maybe even kill her. Oh God. No! Not again! Not Lena Mae. She was too young. She'd only just begun to live. It wasn't fair. What kind of man would torture a four year old girl! And why her daughter? Why Lena Mae? Tifa shut her eyes tight. They were burning. Rage. Horror. Everything. She couldn't take it. Why couldn't she move?

She hadn't noticed now that Cid was leading her back into the living room. Hadn't noticed that Reno had taken the phone from her. All she did was stare. But she wasn't really looking at anything. He had her daughter. What could she do? Nothing. She didn't even know where to begin.

"Is she alright?" Manning asked, somehow knowing that Reno had taken the phone. "I said something to upset her, didn't I?"

"He's got her!" she suddenly shrieked. "He's got Lena Mae! Reno! He tortured her!" Tears had erupted from her eyes, and she'd gotten up. Cid grabbed her around the waist and held her still. "We've got to get her! We've got to get her away from him!"

"Interesting," was all Manning said. "But she's only half right. That's what you get from assuming. It was my fault really. I didn't give her enough data to relate the story to you correctly. Yes. I have your daughter. Make no mistake about that. But I didn't torture her. Not yet. But I will. Yes. I will. No. I tortured the boy who calls himself Wesley."

Reno gasped. His knees gave way and before he knew it, he was on the kitchen floor. "No. Manning. No." He shook his head. It was a lie. It had to be. Not his children. Not _his_ children. "No. You can't have them." But even as he said it, the truth sank in. And it was a damned hard truth to accept. "My son. You..."

"He's alive. Don't worry. I have uses for him yet. And until they've run out, his life is guaranteed. But. These are the first experiments I've conducted on children. There's no telling how long their bodies can withstand. Especially the girl. So young. So innocent. So afraid. She hasn't stopped screaming. Does it pain you to hear?"

"What do you want, Manning?" he asked, getting to his feet, pacing the kitchen in a panic. "I'll get you anything. Anything in the world. Just let them go."

"I have what I want. Yes. Yes. Fourteen years ago, you ruined my experiment. This is retribution. I'm not calling to set ransom. No. I'm calling to torture you. You see, fourteen years, I've learned. Learned that mental torture is much more satisfying than any physical torment. You couldn't imagine my satisfaction now. Yes. Yes. I want you to suffer, Reno. And you will. How tragic. Really. To go from having two children to none in a matter of one day. Tragic."

"Manning. Don't you hang up! Don't you dare hang up." He heard the laugh of the deranged man fade away, and then the click. "Manning! MANNING!" No use. He was gone. "DAMN IT!" Reno screamed, throwing the phone across the kitchen, ripping the cord out of the wall in the process.

Tifa was still in hysterics, and now Cid was torn. Tifa needed him. But Reno. How long would he stay like that? Still. Silent. It wouldn't be long before he exploded just like she had. And it would be damned more destructive.

* * *

**Tengoko: Like I said, it was hard writing this chapter. And on the re-read, I learned why. That's a hard emotion to write. Love is easy. Pain is easy. But the feeling you get when your child is taken. It goes without saying that I've never experienced that before. Which is why I really, really want feedback.  
And now, here's what I wanted to ask you:**  
**Like I've said before, I've grown rather attached to this story. So, I was thinking of turning it into a series. You know, telling Yuffie's story, Vincent's, etc. But, tie them all together. What would you all think of that? Good idea or no? Please respond. I've been torturing myself over this for a while now, and then it came to me. Ask you guys.**


	13. Vow of Vengeance

**Tengoko: Sorry. I think this is the longest I've gone without updating. But, I've not only been editing one of my other stories, but I've also been working on my original novel. I've got a deadline to meet on it. But, I am far from abandoning this, or any other story. In fact, I have decided to make a series that revolves around Moving the Unmoveable. I'm calling them the Storm Series, and naturally, this is the second story in the series. Of course, it meant that I had to change a few things about this story, like the ending. But don't worry. You'll still get the tragedy that I promised. Heh. Heh. Oh, yeah. Please Read and Review. Thanks.**

**Disclaimer: Final Fantasy 7 is not my creation. I have the blood tests to prove it.  
Rated M for language and romance**

**Chapter 13: Vow of Vengeance**

* * *

Was this a dream? No. It couldn't be. He was aware of what was going on. Somehow, he was hovering between the boundaries of consciousness and unconsciousness. He could feel everything that was going on. Felt the straps around his wrists and ankles. He felt his back against the cold metal table. But, he couldn't see where he was. Every time he tried to open his eyes, it seemed as though they were weighed down.

"**Your parents don't love you Wesley**." It must have been the thirtieth time he'd heard it. The same voice. A woman's voice, droning endlessly.

_That's a load of crap_. His thought made him smile. They had to love him. If they didn't, they wouldn't have put up with have the stuff he tried to get away with. Only loving parents wouldn't have killed him by now.

"**They don't want you**."

_Well, that could be true, but oh well_. He smiled again. _They're stuck with me now. And there's nothing they can do about it_.

"**They never wanted you**."

_That's a possibility. Though, I don't see it_. When he was younger, Yuffie and Shera would tell him stories about how excited his parents were when they found out his mother was pregnant with him. They were, by the sounds of it, hopelessly in love, and they loved their unborn baby because it was made out of love. Never wanted him? Hell. They were overjoyed over him.

"**They wish you were never born**."

_Liar_. "Liar." Wesley shook from surprise. That was out loud. And the room went silent for the first time since he was brought to…well…wherever they brought him to. "AGH! SWEET MOTHER OF…"

"Language, my dear child."

Wesley's eyes had shot open with the crack of the whip. Immediately, they found his stomach where the thin leather had torn apart his skin. "You bastard!" he screamed, before realizing who he was screaming at. And then, their eyes met. Blue and green. And Wesley felt himself getting even madder. "Bastard! Let me go!"

"In time…perhaps." Gordon Manning hovered over him, the whip in hand, and he laid it across Wesley's stomach as if to taunt him. "How vexing," he said to himself. "It seems the specimen is immune to Hypnopaedia. Yes. Just as his father had become. Though, I doubt it is genetic. Quite extraordinary though. I'll look into it. Yes. Yes."

"You're insane!" Wesley screamed, thrashing about, trying to free himself.

Manning snapped out of his reflection, and smiled manically. "I know," he agreed. "It's a curse. I've been blessed with astonishing brainpower, but the negative aspect is a little mental instability. Nobody regrets that fact more than I do."

"Want to bet on that?" Wesley gritted. Manning laughed. "Who the hell are you and what do you want with me and my…my…" his voice trailed off and his eyes began darting around the room. "Where is she? Where's Lena Mae?"

Manning laughed again. "I was waiting for all three of those questions. Yes. But, I wasn't expecting you to ask them all at once, and not especially in that order." He stood up straighter and dragged the whip down slowly. "I am Gordon Manning. Though, you may refer to me as Dr. Manning. And, believe it or not, I used to work for President Shinra. Yes. Yes. I was one of the most brilliant minds he had. Right behind Gast and Hojo of course. But then, you'd have no idea who they are."

"I know of Professor Gast," Wesley said.

"Naturally. He was such a great scientist. Shame about his death."

"I don't give a damn about him. Where's Lena Mae?"

"Patience. Now, back to what I was saying…" he cleared his throat and then continued. "My job, so you know, was to research the human psyche, to push the boundaries to find out just how much the human body could take before succumbing to death. Pain, to put it in clearer terms. Yes. That was my job. And I loved it. I loved causing pain. Yes. Yes."

"That's sick," Wesley sneered.

"Maybe. But, that wasn't all. In addition to my study, I was also used to help Professor Hojo perfect the practice of Hypnopaedia. Sleep teaching. As you can tell, we haven't done so yet, or it would have worked on you. At any rate, you are the perfect subject. Yes. Yes. Strong minded. Perfect for my aim. For it to work on you, that would be a great success."

"It won't work on me, you asshole. I know better than to believe any of the tripe you keep trying to force feed me."

Manning laughed again. "In time. Only then will we know for certain. But, while we wait, I'm sure your sister will do just fine for me." He took in Wesley's horrified expression before stepping closer to him. "She's been responding admirably. Yes. Yes. It seems children are far more impressionable."

Wesley looked away from him. He'd failed her. He couldn't protect her, and she needed him. Now more than ever. But, there was nothing he could do. Not while he was strapped to the table. Feeling helpless, there was only one thing to do. He began to cry.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked.

"Because I have a score to settle with your father and mother. You know, your father was quite the specimen. He resisted sleep teaching as well. And in time, he rejected it all together. And the Jenova Cells. They never quite worked on him. Hojo had tried to make him a Sephiroth clone, but every time they injected him with the Jenova Cells…well…it's only a theory."

"What?"

"The only logical explanation is that, on the first injection, his body recognized the cell for what it was. An intruder. The other subjects hadn't. This is how your father was unique. The incubation for the Jenova Strand is about fourteen to eighteen days. In the others, it had taken over the body quite successfully. Our guess is, that they'd overcome the white blood cells and had mutated them, much like many other viruses will try to do. But, your father was exceptional. His body fought it. And his body prevailed."

"Of course it did. And you know why? Because my father is…"

"It's irrelevant. Your father was lucky. That was all. After being injected, after his body fought and killed the strand, like with most viruses, it developed an anti-body. So, the next time we injected him with Jenova Cells, he was immune."

"I've often heard my mother talk about Jenova with Yuffie," Wesley said quietly. "And Sephiroth. They said that you believed that she was some kind of Ancient, or god-like creature. And you injected her cells into all SOLDIERs. Does that mean that my father was in SOLDIER?"

"Did he not tell you?" Manning asked, a little astonished. "I'd have thought he'd be proud of those days. One of the youngest people ever to achieve the rank of first class. Yes. Yes. He was one of the best. Of course, he was no Sephiroth. Nobody could be like him."

"My father…was in SOLDIER?" Wesley said in awe.

"You might think him some kind of hero. Don't you? Then let me amend that. Your father, he's got quite a past. It's no secret. Except, maybe it is to you. And I wouldn't blame them for keeping it from you. It is such a dark past. So much death. Your father was a murderer, Wesley. Everybody hated him. Even your mother hated him. She even came close to killing him once. Yes. Yes. He'd been put in the hospital after coming to blows with her and her friends. I remember that. That was one of the most intense sessions of Hypnopaedia I'd ever performed."

"I don't believe you," Wesley shouted.

"You should. Quite a despicable man, your father. He even put some of my projects to shame. And, he was proud of it. Proud that he had killed. Proud that when people heard his name, they associated it with fear, death, and destruction. At Shin-Ra, the people called him the Red Death. He was that efficient. Yes. Yes. Quite the killing machine."

"No! My father is a good man! He's never killed anybody in his entire life."

Manning laughed, harder than ever. "They've kept so much from you."

"You know what? I don't care! I don't care about what he did! I don't care about anything except for one thing! My sister! Where is she, Dr. Manning?"

"She's safe," he answered shortly. "Of course, I couldn't put her in the same room as you. That'd give her comfort, and she needs to be afraid. That's the only way this will work."

"Damn it! She's only a child! She's only four years old! You can't do this to her! Just let her go! You can do anything you want with me, but please, please! I beg you! Just let her go…let her go." He'd never cried so much in his life. His cheeks were soaked with the salty tears that fell unceasingly from his blue eyes. He could barely breathe; he was trying so hard to keep from sobbing. But, the desperation was there, clear in his voice. And it brought a smile, a twisted smile to Manning's lips.

"I don't think I'll be doing that," he said. "But, how very sporting of you to make such a suggestion. Yes. Yes."

"I was giving you a chance," Wesley said. "Because, when my father gets his hands on you…"

"Yes. Yes. I know the cliché. He'll kill me and make me rue the day I was ever born. That's so boring."

"No. You're wrong. He'll let you live, Manning. But, he'll make sure that from the day he finds you, to the day you die, your life will be an utter hell. And I'll be there for it, Manning."

"Your father wouldn't do that. He's not like me. Or you, for that matter. He's merciful now. He'll let me die. In fact, he'll feel it to be karmic kind of thing. What goes around come around. I deserve to die. Yes. And he'll make sure that's exactly what happens."

"Well…in that case. I hope you live."

"Why's that?"

"So that, when I'm older, I can find you myself and make you suffer for all of this. I promise Manning, if you live to see the end of this, and I live to be an older man, I'll find you. So, you better be looking over your shoulder, Manning. Because I'm not as forgiving as my old man. I'm not as merciful. You'll suffer. And you'll suffer endlessly, and I won't let you die. I'll make you live each day in pain. And if you try to die, I'll bring you back, I'll revive you. And then, I'll torture you all over again."

"What an overactive sense of vengeance. It's not very healthy, you know?"

"It's all I have right now," Wesley bellowed.

"Well. We'll see. But, as it is. I hold the cards. The winning hand. Yes. Yes. Or have you forgotten? You are my new experiment. You and your sister. The Storms. I have reopened the project. The project on pain and sleep teaching. Project Manning."

Another crack split the silence, followed by an earsplitting cry. Wesley closed his eyes and clenched his mouth shut, bracing for the next whip, and then the next. His stomach was but a red, raw, and bleeding mass. It'd never be the same. He'd carry forever the scars of this affliction. But, inwardly, he was glad. Scar him. Scar him well, so in the future, when he looked upon those scars, he could remember exactly how he felt when he got them. And then, he'd know his purpose. To find Manning, and keep his promise.


	14. In the Den

**Tengoko: Sorry it's been so long since I've last updated. I faced extreme writer's block on this chapter. I must have written four different versions before deciding on this one. But, I have a feeling it'll go smoothly from here. Reviews. I'd love them as always. They are the best cure for writer's block.**

**Disclaimer: hmpf.  
Rated M for language and romance**

**Chapter 14: In the Den**

* * *

Sleep? How could they suggest such a thing? Sleep was out of the question. Anything was out of the question until her children were found. And the worst part was, she couldn't help look for them. Reno insisted on it. Said that she was too easy a target. And he left Yuffie and Shera with her to make sure she didn't try to go against his wishes.

Yuffie sat next to Tifa on the couch and turned the TV off with the remote. They'd been watching the news, hoping to hear an update. But after two weeks of nothing, it was no surprise that the same old thing was said. They kept replaying the interviews with Rufus Shinra and her husband. But nothing had turned up.

"I hate this," Tifa cried. "I hate just sitting here while my children are alone and scared. They need me. And I'm stuck here."

Yuffie frowned and put her arm around her best friend. She didn't know what to tell her though. In all honesty, she wished she could be out there with Reno, Vincent, and Cid. She wanted to look for them. She cared about them, had watched them grow up.

"I've got tea," Shera said, coming in from the kitchen with a tray and three cups full of the steaming liquid. "This will cheer you up a bit. It always works for me."

"Have you ever had any of your children stolen from you?" Tifa asked contemptuously. "Until you have, don't presume that a cup of tea is going to put a smile back on my face."

Shera merely kept smiling and set the tray down on the coffee table. She then took her seat in the armchair and looked at both women on the couch. "You worry too much," Shera said. "I don't honestly think that Gordon Manning is going to kill your children."

"Then you obviously have never met Gordon Manning," Tifa said. "You don't know how many people have died as a direct result of his experiments."

"Well, Reno will find them before it comes to that. I mean, he found you, didn't he?"

"Reno knew where to look when it was Tifa who'd been taken," Yuffie said. "He was the one that pointed us in the right direction. But Manning didn't give him anything to go on this time. He's left to only guess and search until something gives them a lead."

"I hope he kills him," Tifa snarled. "I'm tired of Gordon Manning haunting my life. This needs to be finished."

Tifa took a sip of her tea and then sank back into the couch. It was too true what she'd said. Manning had been in her dreams ever since he'd tortured her. And now, he was back in her life for real, attacking her in the worst way possible. Through her children. The man deserved to die. And Reno deserved to kill him.

"Somebody will get him eventually," Yuffie said, sitting up erect. "If not, I'll hunt him down myself. I hate that he thinks he can get away with messing with you. Damn it, I hate not being out there either! I want to get my hands on the little creep and tear him apart. Nobody messes with my friends, and especially not their children."

"You're not helping, Yuffie," Shera scolded. "We must not feel hatred. It's not becoming."

"Come on, Shera. You know if he was in front of you, you'd give him a good, hard slap."

Shera smiled and leaned forward, setting her own cup on the table. "Yuffie, darling, I'm married to Cid Highwind. Gods know that I'd give him a lot more than a hard slap if I ever got the chance."

Yuffie laughed. Tifa smiled, but that was all she could manage to do. She couldn't stop thinking about her children, which was natural. They meant the world to her and now they were both gone. She looked down at her hands and began to remember a day, thirteen years ago when they'd been holding her son, her Wesley. She'd never been happier before, and had only been just as happy twice after. And it scared her that she might never get to put her arms around him again.

She felt Yuffie nudge her shoulder, and she looked up into her eyes. Yuffie smiled and rubbed her shoulder. "Teefs, everything will be okay." Tifa could only hope that she was right.

------------

Wesley knew why he hadn't lost his mind yet. Amidst the beatings, the Hypnopaedia, and then, even more intense measures of pain, he was still within himself. And it was because of his hatred that was far from distilled. His enmity kept him sane. His desire to be the one to kill Gordon Manning kept him going.

He looked down at his chest and stomach. What a bloody mess. And yet, he didn't feel any of it anymore. Almost as if he'd grown immune to pain in the two weeks of his captivity. The only thing that made him aware we was getting beaten anymore was the loud crack of the whips or things like that.

Today was Tuesday. That meant that it was Hypnopaedia today, which Wesley knew the attendants would have to unstrap him for. And he waited, patiently, perfecting his plan to escape this place and find Lena Mae. It'd be much more foolproof if he actually knew the building in its entirety and knew where they were keeping his little sister.

There were usually two of them. So, whatever he did, it had to be quick. Hesitation could mean failure. He was willing to fail. The stakes were to high. This was now life and death. And he'd be damned if he'd let his sister die. Not when he could do something about it now.

He heard the familiar sound of a door unlocking. The doctor was ready for him. And he was ready for his assistants. Letting his head fall to the side, he closed his eyes and pretended to be in a troubled sleep. If they thought he was asleep, they'd be more careless in getting him into the hand and leg shackles.

He heard their footsteps getting nearer. And before he knew it, one foot was free, and then the other. Then his right hand. "Vermin," said a voice. "I can't get this one to unlock."

"Turn the key, you moron," was his reply.

"I'm trying, but it won't turn."

"I have to do everything for you, don't I? Kristoff, I swear," Wesley could tell by his voice that he was walking around the table. "I don't know why Manning keeps you around. You don't do anything right and the only thing you can be counted on doing is messing everything up."

His right hand was free now. Wasting no time, he bolted off of the table and towards the door. The fools had left it unlocked, just as they always did, and now Wesley was racing down the hall ignoring the shouts behind him.

Suddenly, the alarm went off. Wesley suddenly panicked. He hadn't know they'd had one of those. The building seemed pretty old and an alarm system seemed too modern. Oh well, he'd just have to be resourceful and make it up as he went along now. And then, he saw a shadow coming towards him. Getting bigger and bigger.

Wesley disappeared into an empty room and closed the door quietly, turning the lock and then making his way further into the room. It occurred to him right away where he was. Judging my the desk, the papers, and some of the pictures, he was in Manning's office. And since he'd be searching for Wesley as well, this was the safest place to be. After all, why would an escaped prisoner hide in the office of the man he was trying to get away from?

Well, since he was in his office, he was going to take advantage of what he could learn there. He started sifting through drawers, moving papers around, until he came across what he was looking for. Blueprints. Blueprints of the entire building. And according to notes written on the side of it, Manning was only using one floor for experimentation. Which meant that wherever Lena Mae was, it was close by.

Looking down at the bottom of the blueprints, Wesley was relieved to find an address. Now, not only did he know the layout of the building, he knew where they were. Which meant, once he got Lena Mae and himself out, he'd know how to get home.

It was one of the dilapidated buildings in Sector Three. And, from what Wesley assumed, from the outside, it wouldn't look like the place a mad scientist would want to conduct deranged experiments on unwilling patients.

Wesley looked up and as he looked upon the items on Manning's desk, a new plan entered his head. It'd get him caught, but as long as he used the time he had wisely, it'd get him rescued as well. Moving forward, he carefully put the blueprints where he'd found them, so not to let Manning know he now knew where he was, and then he grabbed the phone from Manning's desk and hoped beyond hope that it had a dial tone. Pressing down on a random line, he breathed a heavy sigh to discover that it did.

But he quickly had to hang it up. The door opened, an Wesley was lucky enough to have enough time to scramble behind a filing cabinet before the lights flickered on. He heard footsteps hurry in, and then just as quickly go out.

Still, even as he heard the door close, he didn't move. For all he knew, it was a trap. A trap to see if he was hiding in here, and now they meant to lure him out. But, he wasn't going to move for a while. He was going to make sure that there was nobody there. Even if it meant crouching in this uncomfortable position for an hour. He hoped it wouldn't be that long.

He was glad that he thought to do that. About three minutes later, he heard footsteps again. Inside the office no less. It was a good thing he hadn't come out. But this time, when the door closed, Wesley had a good feeling that it was okay to come out of hiding. He'd been right. Nobody was there. It's just, now the lights were on. So, that meant that the next time somebody came in, he'd have no time to run for cover.

So he had to do this right. Running for the phone, he picked it up, chose a line, and then dialed. Four rings. Nobody picked up. Cursing under his breath, he tried again and again. Still, nothing. It probably meant one thing. He was already on the phone and it was too important a call to switch over. So, he'd wait. He'd go back his hiding spot and wait a few more minutes before trying again.


	15. Phone Call

**Tengoko: Okay. Since I took so long updating the last chapter, I decided to literally be super fast with the update on this one. Reviews please. Love hearing from you all. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: eh...  
Rated M for language and romance**

**Chapter 15: Phone Call**

* * *

"You're sure. You've combed every part of Sector Five? Nothing?" Reno put his hand over his face and groaned. He couldn't take anymore bad news. Four sectors searched, above and below, and still, nothing. "Alright. Tell your team to take fifteen. After that, head over to Sector One and start searching there. Call me if you find anything."

He hung up his phone and placed it back into his pocket. Turning around, Reno saw three troopers just standing around, talking as though there was nothing going on around them. It infuriated him. Storming towards them, he shouted, "What the hell do you think you are doing? Standing around here doing nothing? Have you been told you can take a break?"

"No," one of them said timidly.

"Then you get your lazy asses over there and start searching those buildings!"

"You really should calm down," came a deep voice behind him. Reno turned around to see Rude and Tseng approaching him.

"Calm down? You wouldn't be so calm if it was your children that have been missing for two weeks, Rude."

"You're probably right. That's why I'm glad I haven't pissed off any mad scientists lately." It was a lame joke, and even Tseng gave him a censuring glare for that. "I'm sorry," he said apologetically. "I just got a call from Laney. Says that there's nothing in Sector Eight."

"What's that leave us with?" Reno asked.

"Well, it either means he's in Sector One, Three, Four, or Six."

"I've already got a team heading to Sector One."

"That's all well and good, but Reno, we must now consider the possibility that Gordon Manning is no longer in Midgar. Now, I've already called Reeve on the matter. He's contacting Kalm, Mideel, North Corel, and Nibelheim. Vincent of course has already told Godo to be on the look out in Wutai, and Cid's got Rocket Town on alert. Still, there are thousands of places he could have gone."

"I won't rest until I've found my children," Reno said.

"Neither will we," Rude told him. "I have my team all ready to go. Just tell me where."

Tseng looked down at a map he was holding and said, "I think Sector Four needs searching. And Sector Six. I'll take my team there. Is your team still busy here?" Reno nodded. "All right. Then I'll have Elena search in Sector…hold on."

"What?"

Tseng reached into his pocket and pulled his cell phone out. He didn't recognize the number on the screen, but he answered anyway. "Hello?" And then his eyes got wide. They moved over to look at Reno and then he said, "Hold on. He's right here." He held his phone out to him. "He's been trying to call you. It's your son."

Reno tore the phone from his hand and put it to his ear. "Wesley?"

"It's me, father. But, look I don't have much time."

"Wesley! Where are you? Do you know?"

"We're somewhere in Sector Three on the E Block. One of the old warehouses if I read the blueprints correctly."

"Are you okay. I mean, are you hurt?"

"Nah. Just a few cuts and bruises. Nothing your son can't handle. Father, they're looking for me. I just escaped, and I'm hiding in Manning's office. It'll only be a matter of time before they find me again. So hurry. Please hurry. They're going to do try that sleep teaching crap on me again."

"I'll be there, Wes. I'll get there as fast as I can. But you have to tell me, is Lena Mae all right? Is she with you?"

There was a pause. "I haven't seen her since the night we were taken. But Manning's been telling me things. I don't know whether to believe him or not. Things like she's been responding too well to Hypnopaedia. I don't know. But I'll try and find her, dad. I'll try to get both of us out of here."

"You just stay safe, Wesley. Don't do anything to get yourself killed. We're on our way, okay. So just wait. I'm coming. I will find you."

"Oh shit," Wesley said.

"What? Wesley, what?"

"Dad," he said frantically. "Tell mom that I'm all right, and that I'm sorry about everything. Tell her that I love her. And I love you too. Please, hurry!"

"Wesley!"

"Don't touch me," he screamed. His voice sounded far away. "Get your grubby little hands off of me!"

"WESLEY!" Reno screamed. All he could hear now was yelling. It must have been three people. There was a crush, and then a thud. After that, nothing. Just silence. "Wesley?" But he knew that nobody was going to answer.

"Reno?" Tseng stepped closer and put his hand on his shoulder. "What do you want us to do?" Reno hung up the phone and turned away from him. Bowing his head, he closed his eyes and buried his face in his hand. "Look, the fact that he's calling is good news. We know that your son is alive."

"He's in Midgar," Reno said, turning back towards him and wiping his tears away. "Sector Three, E block. I want everybody there. We're going to raid the place."

"Sounds like a good idea," Rude said. "I'll call Laney and let her know."

"I'll get a hold of Vincent and Cid, tell them to rendezvous with us at Sector Three. I'll tell Rufus Shinra too. I think he's closest."

"But, nobody is to make a move until I get there. Make sure that is completely understood." Reno then reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Tseng and Rude left to get their teams ready to go. "Pick up the phone, damn it," he muttered.

"Hello?"

"Demetrius, this is Reno. Change of plans. Get the team organized and ready to head for Sector Three. We've found them. I want to be moving out in no less than five minutes. I'm not going to be lenient on this, so get started now."

"Right on it, sir."

Reno then ran towards his helicopter and jumped inside, sitting himself in the cockpit. Starting up the propellers, he waited. His cell phone rang. Picking it up, he heard Rude say, "my team is heading out now. I'm on my way to the chopper right now."

"You aren't going to travel with your team?" he asked.

"No, Heston will get them there. Besides, I can't just leave my best friend at a moment like this. You'd do the same for me if it were my children."

"All right then," Reno said, smiling in spite of himself. "But if you aren't here in three minutes, I'm leaving without you. I'm just waiting for the call telling me that my team's moved out."

"Don't worry. That's plenty of time." And then he hung up.

Reno didn't put his cell phone away this time. Instead, he dialed another number and waited until somebody picked up the phone. "Yuffie, is that you?"

"Of course it's me. Who else did you think it would be?"

Reno paused. "Um…my wife. Put her on the phone, Yuffs."

"Okay, but I don't think she wants to hear anything unless what you've got to say is good news."

"Just give her the damned phone!" he shouted.

"All right, all right. Calm down."

Reno groaned. If one more person told him to calm down, he was going to shoot somebody. But, he couldn't do that. He had to save all his anger for Gordon Manning.

"Hello?"

"Tifa, baby, it's me. Listen, I've got good news. Wesley called me. I know where they are and I'm going to go get them right now."

She began sobbing. "You found them?"

"Well, no. You can thank your son for this. He figured out where they were and called Tseng. I guess he tried to get a hold of me, but with all the calls I've been getting, it probably didn't get through."

"Just go get them, okay?"

"I will, babe. I'm going to go ahead and let you go. I'm waiting for a call and for Rude to get here so we can leave. I'll call you when I have them. Love you, Tifa."

"And I love you."

Reno replaced his phone in his pocket just as Rude hopped into the helicopter and took his seat next to Reno. "How long did I take?"

"Too long," Reno said.

"Your team already left?" he asked in surprise.

"No. They're taking too long too. I'm just going to leave now."

"Alright. Hey, I just got off the phone with my wife. They're moving out as we speak."

Reno had to shake his head for a moment. After his best friend had been married to her for nearly nine years, it was still hard to remember that he'd married Elena. "Right," he said. "And Tseng. He's gone?" Rude nodded. "It's just us now huh?" Another nod. "Well, let's go then. It's time to get my children back and end this. I'm ready to kill that damned asshole." He paused and then blinked. Oh…damn."

"What?" Rude asked.

"For a moment there, I was beginning to think that I was a Turk again."


	16. Old Times

**Tengoko: Sorry again for taking so long. I haven't been able to get to a computer for the past four days. And the first thing I did when I got to one was write this chapter. So, I hope you all enjoy it. Reviews are loved. So, don't hesitate to tell me what you think of the chapter. Thanks.**

**Disclaimer: Is this all really necessary?  
Rated M for language and romance**

**Chapter 16: Old Times**

* * *

Wesley couldn't believe how easy that had been. He knew that he could hold his own in a fight, but that was ridiculous. There were three of them after all. And the fact that he could overpower them easily was laughable. Really, Manning needed to look into hiring better assistants. Of course, he couldn't complain. Had they been any stronger or faster, he'd have been beaten.

He ran through the corridor. He had no clue where he was going. Just knew that Lena Mae had to be on this floor. With every door he passed, he'd peer through the square window to see if perhaps she was in there. He'd yet to find her, but what he did see while looking through the doors was deplorable.

There were many people. For some reason, Wesley was under the impression that Manning only had a few people, maybe four or five. But, it seemed that every room was being used for his sick experiments. What they all were though, Wesley didn't want to know. Nor did he care. All he was worried about right now was finding his little sister and getting the hell out of there.

He tried a few more doors. And finally, he saw her. Well, sort of. The room was dark and he couldn't make out the face of the person sitting in the chair. But, the Mog doll that the person was holding stood out in the darkness.

Wesley let out a sigh of relief and tried the doorknob. No surprise. It was locked. And, without something sharp, there was no way he could pick the lock and gain entry.

"Damn it!" he cursed.

"Vexing, isn't it?" Wesley spun around quickly and cursed again once he saw Professor Manning standing at the doorway behind him. "So, you're the one who got out?" he asked. "Impressive. Twelve years, and you're the first to manage it. I knew you were special."

Wesley stared up at him. Not by much. Wesley wasn't that short. And he stood up even taller, taking in a deep breath. "You know, Manning. I've had just about as much of you as I can take."

"And what do you plan on doing about that, boy?"

"This!" he screamed, charging at him. Before he knew it, they were both on the ground, and he was punching him with everything that he was worth. Manning got a few of his own punches in and finally, he was able to throw Wesley off of him and into the wall across the hallway.

"You can't hurt me, Wesley. I enjoy pain too much. Obviously, you should have realized that a man such as me, a man so fixated with the studies of pain, would be a sato-masochist. Not only do I enjoy causing pain to others, I very much enjoy inflicting it on myself."

"That's a shame," Wesley grunted, rubbing the back of his head. "That means I'll have to find other ways to make you suffer."

"I'll look forward to your endeavor. Yes. Yes. In the mean time, I have something that I want to show you." Gordon Manning smiled as he stood up and pulled some keys out of his white lab coat. Crossing the hall, he stuck the key into the door and turned the lock.

Suddenly, Wesley tackled him again. But, Manning was the only one who wound up on the floor. Then, Wesley tore the keys out of the door, pushed his way into the room, shut the door behind him and locked it. He just hoped Manning didn't have spares, or if he did, that they were back in his office.

Feeling around on the wall, he found a light switch and flicked it on. Turning around, he gasped. Lena Mae sat on the edge of a chair, her eyes staring vacantly in front. Now, he'd seen many people stare aimlessly, their eyes void. But this, this was completely different. There was nothing behind her eyes. No soul. Nothing.

"Lena! Lena Mae!" Wesley ran to her and fell to his knees beside her chair.

"My name is Lena Mae Storm," she said in a soft, monotonous voice. "And my father was an evil man. My name is Lena Mae Storm, and my father was an evil man."

"Lena!" Wesley shouted, trying to snap her out of it. "Lena, don't do this! Come on! Snap out of it."

"My name is Lena Mae Storm."

"LENA!"

"And my father was an evil man."

"It really is a tragedy. Yes. Yes." Wesley didn't even bother turning around. He didn't have to. Manning's footsteps told him that he was coming even closer. "I hadn't meant for it to go that far with her. She is, after all, only a child. I may be a man of little compassion, but I do not wish to kill children."

"So, you do have a soul," Wesley sneered. "I'm surprised."

"A tattered soul, but a soul I have."

"I'm glad you have one, Manning," Wesley said, standing slowly. "I want to be the one to send it straight to hell!"

Manning laughed and finally stopped advancing towards him. They were about a foot apart from each other, each staring into each other's eyes. Manning's were full of humor while Wesley's were filled with vehemence. "You can't kill me," he whispered. "Neither can your father. I won't die until I am ready to die."

"Funnily enough, I'm not ready for you to die either. Not until you set Lena right. And you will."

He shook his head. "It's too late for Lena Mae. Look at her and see for yourself. She's a mindless zombie. Yes. Yes. The first casualty of Hypnopaedia."

"Casualty?"

"Oh, it will kill her, yes. She's far too gone to come back to our world. She's lost, somewhere inside the dark dungeons of her mind. Everything she fears, everything she hates, it's surrounding her. She will never come back."

"You bastard!" Wesley screamed. "She was just a little girl!"

"Was. And now she's dead. One more life, one more soul on my conscience. But, when I compare it to the countless thousands that are on your father's, it means little difference to me."

"What?"

"I suppose you're old enough to know," Manning said offhandedly. "Yes. And I'll tell you. I'm sure that you have heard about what happened in Sector Seven so many years ago. Quite a disaster it was. The greatest man-made disaster in Midgar history, and second most catastrophic right after Meteor."

"Yeah, I know. What's that have to do with my father?"

"The history books only tell the when, where, and what happened afterward. But, they never do tell who did it. Yes. Yes. Mind, not everybody knew who did it. They just knew the Shinra was behind it. Yes. They were quite disreputable back then. Before Rufus Shinra. And the Turks. The right hand of the president. They did his dirty work. Espionage, assassinations."

"Just answer my question, damn it!"

"In good time, Wesley. Yes. All in good time. Sector Seven was a tragedy yes, but it wasn't an accident. And do you know who brought the entire plate down? Do you know who killed everybody above and below? Do you know who destroyed your mother's home? Her friends?" He was yelling now, had moved closer. "It was the Red Death. Reno Storm. Your father. He set the bomb that blew the plate and made it crash into the slums below. Yes. The most notorious, ruthless Turk of them all. Feared. Hated. Respected. His job was to kill and he did it well. Yes. Yes. And you know what else. Children were not excluded from the list. He'd wipe out entire families. Babies. Even little girls. I can only imagine how many were killed when he dropped the plate."

Wesley looked away from Manning at that point. He was trying to find words to say. It's not that he didn't believe Gordon. In fact, he didn't doubt it at all. But, he wasn't phased by it. Impressed rather, that his father had indeed been a Turk. However, he also knew that the ruthless man, the Red Death as Manning put it, was dead. His father was different.

"So…what do you expect me to do now? Fall to my knees and cry in disbelief that my father was once a murderer? 'Cause, if that's the case, I'm sorry to disappoint you. But nothing you can say will make me change my opinion of him. He's a great man now. That's all that matters. But you…you will always, always be scum. You'll never change."

"You seem so sure." He laughed manically. "At any rate, your sister is the topic at hand. And, I hate to tell you, but as we speak, some of my attendants are on their way now to dispose of her."

"Dispose?" Wesley asked in horror.

"Certainly. Yes. I can't do anything else with her. She's a shell. An imprint of what she used to be. Not capable of thought or emotion. Give it a few minutes, and then everything will shut down. Her last breath is upon us."

"It'd better not be," Wesley warned, stepping even closer, his fist raised.

"Deny it all you want. It'll happen whether you want it to or not."

"You bastard!" he screamed, about to tackle him for the third time. But, suddenly, he found himself staring down the barrel of a gun. "Heh. It shouldn't surprise me that you're a coward as well."

"No, that's not it. I'd just hate for my shirt to get wrinkled."

"If you think a gun's going to stop me…"

"It just did," he laughed.

"Do you really think so?" Wesley asked. He grabbed Gordon's wrist and twisted it as hard as he could. It did make him drop his gun, but Wesley hadn't been expecting Manning to hit him upside the head with his forearm. He cried out as his eyes watered and he fell to the floor.

He felt Manning's hand on his arm and he was turned over on his back. Then he felt his cold fingers around his neck. He couldn't breathe. He kicked, he pulled at the fingers, but the grip never let up. He was going to die. Manning was going to kill him.

"Sorry," he heard. "I just don't see any other way."

His voice sounded far away. His vision was blurred. He felt his hands fall from Manning's wrists. His legs stopped kicking. This was it. His final moments. And all he could think about was his mother. He never apologized. Never told her why. Never told her that he loved her. Never said good-bye.

And then, there was a loud bang. Manning's hands were off of him and he rolled over and began gasping for air. Cough after cough. But he was alive. He was going to live. But why? Why had Manning let go of him?

Wesley turned over and his eyes widened. There, standing in a line, their guns drawn were Elena, Tseng, Rude…and his father. All wearing black suits neatly, except his father, who had his shirt untucked and wrinkled.

"Manning, don't you ever lay your hands on my son again."


	17. A Father's Tears

**Tengoko: This chapter was so hard to write. After you read it, you'll know why. Just to warn you, you might want to have some tissues on hand. I'd especially like reviews for this chapter. Thank you...and enjoy...well...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the rights to FF7  
Rated M for language and romance**

Chapter 17: A Father's Tears  
------------

Wesley fell back against the floor, his hand on his throat where Manning's had just been trying to squeeze the life out of him. His eyes were filled with tears. Fear, pain, regret, happiness, and relief were among the emotions that led to the deluge. But mostly, it was happiness. His father had come for him. Just like he knew he would.

"Don't move, Manning," he heard Rude order. And then footsteps. Hurried footsteps. His vision was still clouded, but he knew two people were hovering over him. And there was no mistaking the red hair.

"…Dad?" he asked anyway. He felt a warm hand on his forehead and another take his own hand.

"He'll be just fine," he heard the other man say. It had to have been Tseng. But Wesley had turned to face his father. "Oh Gods," he suddenly said. "Look at his back!"

He heard his father gasp and then felt his fingers on the cuts. "They're on his stomach too," Reno said. "Wesley," he finally said to him. "How much does it hurt?"

"Not too bad," he said truthfully. "To be honest, it never really bothered me. Just the fact that the scars would always be there pissed me off. But I dealt with the pain alright."

"Well, you won't have to anymore, son. I promise."

"I'll stay next to him. Go check on Lena Mae."

Reno squeezed Wesley's hand one last time before rising to his feet. He could tell just by looking at his daughter that something was wrong. She was staring off into the distance, muttering something under her breath. But it was so soft, he couldn't understand what she was saying. He hurried to her, kneeling in front of her and taking her hands.

"Lena Mae?"

What happened next startled everyone. She lost it. First a scream. A blood-curdling, fury-filled, electrifying scream. They all recognized the sound. Murder. She wanted to kill him. And she made that perfectly clear by kicking out and clawing at him. He grabbed one of her wrists before she could reach him with it, but her other hand was still free, and she dug her nails into his cheek, tearing lines into his pale skin, drawing blood. Reno caught hold of it only after the fact.

"Shit!" Rude exclaimed, almost lowering his gun. He wanted to go to Lena, to help Reno. Elena and Tseng felt the same way, but only Tseng could go to them, and he pinned Lena's shoulders to the back of the chair.

"LENA!" Reno shouted, trying to get her under control. But she wasn't listening. Actually, it was as if she couldn't hear him at all. She just kept trying to break free from their holds. She really wanted to hurt him. And that in itself hurt Reno most of all.

He turned to face Manning with a look of extreme hatred. "What did you do to her? What did you do to my daughter?"

"Whoa," Tseng yelled, grabbing his gun again and aiming it at the doorway. "Stop. Don't move." They all looked up and saw who Wesley knew to be Vermin. He was holding his hands up, his eyes looking around taking in the situation. "Slowly, I want you to walk towards Manning. Keep your hands where I can see them or I will shoot you. Do you understand?"

He didn't answer, but he complied immediately. His eyes never leaving Tseng's as he made his way towards his boss. "I came as soon as I heard the noise," he told him.

"It may be too late for both of us, Vermin," Manning said. "You see that…that's Reno Storm. And I don't think he'll be too happy once he learns the fate of his daughter." He said it so coolly, as though he'd just said hello to an old friend. But Vermin seemed to appreciate the magnitude of the words, for he took a slight step back before Elena shouted at him not to move.

"How can we make her better?" Rude demanded.

"You can't," he said matter-of-factly. She's lost. Lost forever. Hypnopaedia was an unexpected success on the girl. With only a few sessions, we had her believing everything we aimed for. That she was worthless, that her mother was a Sector Seven whore and her father was an evil, murderous bastard who could never love."

"You little fuck!" Reno shouted, getting to his feet.

"It gets worse, Mr. Storm."

"For your sake, you better hope it doesn't," he said ominously.

"My sake be damned. It won't change the fact that your daughter is going to die. Yes. Yes. Very soon in fact. Already, her soul is slipping, diminishing and filtering into the life stream. She is nothing more than a mindless corpse. A shell who is incapable of any true thought or emotion. And that, Mr. Storm, is the truth…and my perfect revenge."

"You'd better put her right," Elena ordered. "Now!"

"Calm yourself, woman. There is nothing I can do. It's far too late for intervention."

"Sir, permission to shoot him?" Rude gritted. "But not necessarily to kill?"

"Oh trust me," Tseng said. "I want just was much as you do to cause this bastard pain. Which is why we are going to hand him over to Shin-Ra. I'm sure Rufus, in his sadistic ways could think of something to do with him. After all, he had been rather fond of Lena."

"No…this can't be the way it is…" Reno stammered. "She can't die. I won't let her. Manning, you find a way to fix this. You save her."

"I can't…" he said drolly.

"Damn it!" he shouted, pointing his gun at him. "You'd better damn well try!"

"Why waste my time?"

"…daddy?" Her quiet voice made the room fall silent. Reno whirled around and fell back to his knees in front of her. Blue eyes met blue eyes. And Reno was happy to see life behind them. She was crying, but at least it was a sign of humanity. "…I'm…scared."

"I'm here now, baby," he said, his own tears beginning to fall. "There is nothing to be afraid of. I'm going to protect you. Nobody's ever going to hurt you again."

"…It's…so dark…" she whispered. "…I can't…can't see." She took a labored breath before saying, "…am I…going to…die?"

"No, sweetheart," he managed to say steadily. "You're going to be fine. We're here to take you home. Your mommy's been so worried about you."

"…mommy?" she whimpered. "…daddy…I feel…cold." Reno instantly removed his jacket and wrapped it around her, pulling her into his arms. He felt her heartbeat. Slow. Too slow. It made his quicken. He knew this moment could very well be his last with his daughter. And that scared him more than anything in the world.

"Is this better, baby?" he asked, his voice no longer his as the sorrow and the tears transformed it into a sound so heartbreaking, so gut wrenching, that even Rude had to look away. She'd nodded.

"…Wesley?"

"I'm right here, Lena," he said, his voice stronger than before. He'd approached slowly, unnoticed, and was now at her side. "I'm not leaving, okay?" She nodded again.

"…I don't…blame you," she said. Wesley's heart broke at that. He knew it was her way of saying her good-bye to him. And now his tears were flowing freely.

"You are such a good person, Lena," Wesley said. "I love you so much." His words made her smile, her first smile. It only made him cry harder. And suddenly, she was in his arms. Reno had handed her to him, and he was now on his feet.

"Manning, I'm begging you. Make her better. I can't lose her."

"Even if there was something I could do…I wouldn't do it." His voice was so cruel. So cold. And yet…so smug. It was finally what pushed Reno over the edge. And now his gun was aimed right at Manning's head.

"If she dies…you die too." And then he pulled the trigger.

"What the-" Vermin exclaimed as Manning's fingers dug into his shoulders, and he was wrenched in front of him. The bullet struck firmly in his head, killing him. But, it gave Manning the opportunity to dive passed Elena and Rude and dash down the hallway, attempting to make his escape. In response, however, Rude and Tseng practically flew out of the room after him.

Elena remained behind, and she silently walked up to Reno and put a hand on his shoulder. "They'll get him. They never fail."

But Reno was somewhere else. Turning away from her, he crouched in front of Lena again. He took her from Wesley and held her against his chest, his fingers running down the plait of red hair. "Lena?"

"…daddy?"

"I love you. No matter what anybody else has told you…I love you. And I will always love you. It's a love that will last forever. Daddy's just don't stop loving their daughters."

"…I love…you…daddy. Forever."

"He got away," Rude said, walking back into the room. "But don't worry, Reno. Tseng's just called Rufus. They're going to close the perimeter around Midgar. Nobody's getting out. He couldn't have gotten too far."

"I don't care about Manning right now," Reno said softly, holding his daughter tighter.

"…daddy…" Lena began. "…don't be…mad…for me. Forgive…him…like I…have."

"You have?" Wesley asked. How could she have possibly done that? At this point, he didn't think he could ever find it in his heart to forgive him. In fact, if Shin-Ra failed to find him, he intended to keep his promise. He intended to one day find him himself.

"Why waste…energy on…hate…when there's…so many things…and people…to love?" She smiled for a moment, but then her body went rigid. "…daddy…I think…"

"Lena?"

"…tell mommy…that I love her."

She didn't say a word after that. Just closed her eyes and put her arms around her father. She stopped crying after a minute or so. Reno didn't. He held her tightly, praying, hoping that through some miracle, his daughter would be alright. But…they'd just been delaying the inevitable. And it did come. Slowly. Her last breath was the loudest. Reno actually felt life leave her. And then she was still. Her arms had fallen to her side, but Reno wasn't letting go. He couldn't.


	18. My Blood, Her Blood

**Tengoko: Sorry for taking so long. Classes have really been stretching me thin lately. That, and this chapter was especially difficult to write. I know I've said that before, but it is just as true now as it was then. Now, for those who screamed for Phoenix Downs from the last chapter, I regret to inform you that, if you read a few chapters back, there is a news report explaining a shortage of them. Just to clear that up. Besides, I wouldn't use the same solution twice. Well, anyway, please review. I'd love that. **

**Rated M for language and romance**

**Chapter 18: My Blood, Her Blood**

------------

It had been five minutes since it'd been reported. At first they hadn't believed it. Tabloid media, Shera had called it. Anything to get a story. Of course, that was them clawing onto the last shreds of hope. Hope that they were wrong. They knew they weren't. And, Rude's call only confirmed their fears. Lena Mae was dead.

There was no describing what she felt just now. Actually, it was still unbelievable. She stared down at the picture in her hands of her and her little girl, and it just seemed like a bad dream. There was no way her darling child was dead. Not Lena Mae. She was too strong to die. Too full of life.

Shera sat next to Tifa, rubbing her back softly. She was watching her carefully, knowing that right now, it had yet to hit her. But, once it sank in, she knew that Tifa would be hysterical. There was no doubt about it.

Yuffie sat on the stairs. She really didn't want Tifa to see her crying. She had her hands covering her face, trying to stop the tears. She couldn't. Lena Mae had been such a major part of Yuffie's life. So happy, so blissfully innocent. All that was over. She'd been taken. Returned to the life stream along with so many others that Yuffie had grown to love. It wasn't fair. She was only a little girl.

"Lena," Tifa sobbed, holding the picture close to her chest. "Is this really happening?" she asked Shera. "My baby's never coming home?"

"Sweetie," Shera said softly. "I'm so sorry that this happened."

"She'll be okay," Tifa said. "I know it. Aerith will take care of her. Hayden will too. I don't have to worry about her. She's in a better place. I know that. I learned that after Hayden died."

"Tifa…"

"But, it still hurts. So much. She's gone. I can't hold her. I can't touch her. Can't watch her grow up. I'm…I'm going to miss her so much!" That did it. Tifa dissolved and broke into frenzied sobs.

Just as Shera pulled her into her arms, the door opened. Shera looked up and felt a wave of relief wash over her as Cid crossed the threshold and made his way over to them quickly. He took Tifa from her and held her in his arms, his own eyes filled with tears. "Oh Teefs," he said, over and over again.

Vincent stood behind them, on hand in case Tifa got any worse. He hadn't even noticed his wife standing behind him, watching the scene. You could tell by looking at him that he was angry; angrier than anybody had ever seen him. But as he looked at his friend, all he could feel was worry and sadness. He wished he could take it away from her. She'd suffered so much already. This just wasn't fair.

"Where's Reno?" Shera asked Cid.

"He's at the hospital with Wesley. He's fine," he said quickly when he heard Yuffie gasp. "It's just standard procedure. Wes didn't even want to go. Said he wanted to get back here to be with his mother. But, in the end, Reno finally convinced him to get checked out just in case."

"And Manning?" Yuffie asked quietly.

"Bastard got away!" Vincent snapped. It was so unexpected as Vincent rarely ever lost his temper, that both Shera and Yuffie jumped.

"He won't get far," Cid said. "Rufus has closed the gates in and out of Midgar. Nobody's getting out. They'll find him." He closed his eyes. "I certainly won't pity the man once Reno gets his hands on him."

"Did you see her?" Tifa asked through her tears. Cid nodded slowly. "Was she in pain when she died?"

"I wasn't there when it happened, Teefs. But, from what I heard, her passing was painless. Reno was with her."

"At least she wasn't alone. Do you know if she was afraid?"

"I don't think she was, Tifa. You know Lena Mae. She faced everything with so much courage. Why should this have been any different?"

She nodded. "You're right. I have…had…an amazing little girl."

-------------

Wesley stared determinedly at the IV in his wrist. Three broken bones, but other than that, nothing too serious. Well, of course he'd lost quite a bit of blood and they were giving him some more via transfusion. The only trouble with that was, he was an O- blood type. Very rare. And, as it was, they had some on hand.

The fact that they were pumping his own sister's blood into him was almost too much to bear. Why'd it have to be hers. Why couldn't his father have just said 'no?' After everything that had happened, he now had to add this to the many marks against his conscience. His sister was dead because of him, and now, he will get well because of her. That thought brought him to tears.

It almost hurt to cry. It was almost as if everything he'd gone through, everything he'd tried to hold in was now coming out. The pain. The guilt. The anguish. And what's worse, Manning was still alive. How was that fair? Lena Mae dies, and a man so unscrupulous was still allowed to live.

Wesley felt a hand on his forehead, moving his bangs out of his face and then another wiping away his tears. He'd almost forgotten that his father was still there. And why was he being so comforting? Especially when his son was the reason his daughter was dead.

"I'm about to call your mother," Reno began quietly. "Is there anything you want me to tell her?" Wesley couldn't bring himself to answer. All he could do was stare at his wrist. "She probably needs to hear from you. Hear from your own mouth that you're alright."

"I'm not alright," he responded finally. "Never again."

"Wes?" Wesley could see the concern on his father's face. His eyes filling with worry. It was so strange. He'd seen his father when he was angry, sad, annoyed and depressed. But never scared, and certainly never worried. Now he was both. "Talk to me," he pleaded.

"Why don't you just tell me the truth, father? Tell me that it's all my fault that she's dead! That everybody's going to blame me! There's no point in hiding it! Just tell me! Tell me the truth!"

By that point, Wesley had sat up and was shouting. He was about to go on, but Reno suddenly pulled him into his arms. Wesley couldn't speak anymore. He was just crying. "Wesley, you listen to me. What happened to Lena is not your fault. Nobody is going to blame you."

"So, am I the only one who isn't lying to myself?"

"Wes! Stop it! It's not your fault! Do you understand me?"

"If I hadn't left that night. If I had just made her stay home, she'd still be alive."

"There was no way you could have known what was going to happen. What happened to her was horrible, but you can't blame yourself. You'll just end up getting sick."

"I put the blame where it belongs!"

"The blame belongs on Manning! He's the one who did this to her. Not you. Not you." Reno looked down at him. Blue eyes meeting blue eyes. And Wesley gasped. Tears. His father was crying. Really crying.

"I should have been me," Wesley said. "She should be the one sitting here with you, not me. It never should have happened. It should have been me all those years ago. You should have buried me instead of Hayden."

He actually felt his father stop breathing at that. The grip around him tightened painfully until Reno finally held him out to give him the most moving, most heart wrenching expression Wes had ever seen. "I never want to hear you say that again!" Reno yelled. "Ever!"

"He never would have gotten shot if I hadn't been there. Mom tried to pick me up, but I wanted you to. That's why I got fussy. If I had just let her pick me up, Hayden would be here and you and mom wouldn't have felt so responsible. I know you blamed yourself, dad, but it wasn't your fault. It was mine."

"Wesley, there are things about that day that you don't know. What happened to Hayden, and what happened to Lena had nothing to do with you. Wes, I realize that Manning must have told you what I used to be. And that…had everything to do with it. Your brother and sister aren't dead because of you. It's because of what I was."

"A Turk. Manning told me that you were the one who dropped the Sector Seven plate."

"In this case, Wes, he was telling the truth. But there isn't a day in my life that I don't regret what I did. Hell, if anything, I'm the one who deserves to be in a casket. I certainly didn't deserve anything else. And I'd resigned myself to that, was ready to continue living as a Turk until I died. But then…something good happened to me. The best thing in my life."

"What's that?"

"Your mother fell in love with me. Even when we both knew she shouldn't. She changed me, Wes. She made me believe that I could make things right. And I'm still trying to. But…do you know the best thing of all?"

"No," he said, shaking his head.

"We had a son. The happiest day of my life was the first day that I held you in my arms. And if I ever lost you Wesley," he paused and looked away from him, almost as if he couldn't bear the thought of it. "If I ever lost you…"

In that moment, everything that Wes had come to know about his father's emotions, the walls that he had put up, all came crumbling down. And Reno was crying. Not like before. A helpless, uncontrollable lament. Tears fell. Unstoppable. And the sobs. Wesley had never seen his father look so vulnerable. And it was heartbreaking. So heartbreaking.

"Father?"

"Wesley, forgive me. I don't mean to be like this." He turned away from him and began wiping his eyes. "Y'know, there were moments when I had thought that I would never see you again. I was so afraid that by the time we found you, it'd be too late. I've had so many dreams…dreams that no father should have. I wouldn't wish them upon my worst enemy."

Wesley looked down and clutched his blanket. "I feel like I have died," he said. "It's almost as though I'm watching this from the outside in. Like a scene. And yet, I know that I'm a part of it. But what scares me, dad, is that I'm beginning to think that maybe things would be better if I had died."

Reno didn't move for a second. He jammed his hands in his pockets before turning back to face him. "I don't want you to feel that way any more, son. You shouldn't feel that way."

"It's like a dream. It's going to take me a long time before I accept that Lena Mae is gone. It's so hard to take in. I can't…I can't…" And he was crying again. Reno pulled him back into his arms and sat on the edge of the hospital bed. "She didn't deserve to die."

"I know," Reno whispered. "I know."

"I should've been able to protect her," he said quietly. "I failed."

Reno shook his head, one last tear falling from his eyes. "No, Wes. I did."


	19. Like Me

**Tengoko: We're reaching the final chapters of this story. Truth be told, by the time you finish this, I'll probably be ready to post the last chapter. I will before going to sleep at any rate, because I'm anxious to get started on my next installment of the Storm Series. Well, sorry it took a while to update. I really haven't been updating like I used to, I know. But, I'll try to fix that. Anyway, please review. But more importantly, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: ho hum  
Rated M for language and romance**

**Chapter 19: Like Me**

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There really wasn't anything fascinating about the ceiling. There was absolutely no reason to be captivated by it, or transfixed. For that matter, it was rather dull as ceilings went. Plain white, no exciting light fixtures, no holes or signs of age to speak of. Just plain a plain, dull white color. But just now, it was all she could stare at.

She'd been crying for days without stop. Now was the first time her tears had ceased, and while she still felt like her heart had just caved in on itself, at least she wasn't crying.

She still wore the same black dress she'd worn at the cemetery. She'd only taken off her shoes when they'd come back home. The moment she'd gotten them off, she walked slowly up to her room, closing the door behind her. The visitors would be arriving shortly to pay their respects. She was in no mood for visitors.

Tifa finally tore her eyes away from the dull ceiling to look at her nightstand. A picture of Lena Mae was there. So young, so vibrant. She had so much life to offer. No more. Today was the last day that she'd ever see her daughter. Now she rest beneath the earth and her soul in the life stream.

"Babe?"

She sat up to see her husband standing at the bedroom door. He'd taken off his tie now, but he still wore his black suit. It was the neatest he'd ever worn it. "I didn't hear you come up," she said softly.

"No. I didn't think you did," he replied, walking towards her and sitting down on the edge of the bed. "They'll be arriving soon. What do you want me to tell them?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Make something up. I'm just not ready to face anybody right now. I'm not in the disposition to be told by people I don't even know that they know I'm going through a hard time, or how sorry they are."

"Tifa, this isn't like the last time. It's only friends. The funeral wasn't the only thing I've closed off from the public. There won't even be a lot of people. Just your friends and mine."

"I suppose you're going to tell me how worried they'll be if I don't make an appearance."

"Unnecessary as usual, love." He smiled slightly and the stretched out beside her, putting an arm over her waist. "How are you feeling?"

"How do you think I'm feeling?" she asked angrily.

"A little bit worse than hell would be an understatement?" She nodded. "I thought so," he said, wiping away a tear that somehow managed to fall from Tifa's eye. He kissed her cheek and brought her closer to him. She buried her face in his jacket and suddenly she was crying again.

Reno said nothing. He knew from experience that words were fruitless at this point. Even holding her was barely enough. But it was enough. And he was glad of it, for her tears always tore at him. In this instance, it evoked a few tears from him as well. "I'll miss her too," he told her.

"Why did it have to happen? Why did a little girl have to die? Why did it have to be our daughter? And why did Wesley have to be there for it? I know that he'll never recover completely from this. And there's nothing we can do. No way to bring her back. No way to make him feel as though this was not his fault. Why do these things always happen to our family?"

"Well, the odds were against as from the beginning," Reno said. "Why should fate be any different? But, we mustn't fall apart because of any of this. Yes, we've had horrible tragedies come upon us, but as long as we're together we'll get through it."

"I wish I had been there to say good-bye. It should have been me at her side instead of Wesley. He's been through so much. Too much. I hate that he's been exposed to all this pain and tragedy at such a young age. He's not even fourteen years old yet and he's been forced to deal with things most people never have to deal with."

"I'm worried about him, too," Reno said. He hadn't told Tifa about their conversation at the hospital. It would only make her concern greater. Besides, that was the kind of talk that should remain between the people who were there. At any rate, Reno knew exactly what was going through Wesley's mind, and he knew that it'd take years before any sort of normalcy settled back into his life.

"What are we going to do?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Well, we can't stay here," he said slowly. "We have to get out of Midgar. Too much has happened here."

Tifa sat up at that. Had she heard him right? He wanted to move? "But…what about your campaign."

"I'm officially removing myself from the running tomorrow," he said. "I've also talked to a realtor. She's looking at houses in Wutai. I figured it be better for Wes to be around kids his own age. And I think it'd be good for you to be closer to Yuffie and Vincent. It's either that, or rocket town. But, I do hate Rocket Town."

"You mean it?" she asked in disbelief. "We're really going to move to Wutai?"

"Yes, babe. We've been in Midgar too long. I can't think of anything better than starting a new life, with a new baby, in a new place." He put his hand on her stomach and kissed her. "Rufus is sad to see me go, but I told him he didn't have much of a choice."

Tifa looked down at her hands, which were now entwined in his, and found herself crying again. Reno kissed her forehead and pulled her back into his embrace in an attempt to comfort her.

Before he could say anything else, their door opened again and Wesley walked slowly to the foot of their bed. His eyes were downcast and his shoulders slumped. Reno and Tifa both looked at him anxiously. Reno sat up and stared intently at his son who'd yet to return his gaze.

"Cid and Shera have arrived," he informed them. "They're downstairs waiting."

"Alright, son," Reno said, rising to his feet. "Do you still want me to make something up for you, babe?"

"No, Re. I'll go down and mingle I suppose." She stood up as well, and walked around the bed to where her son stood. "Wesley, if you aren't ready to face anybody yet, you don't have to. Your father and I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do."

"No. I want to be there," he said, finally looking up. "I've got a lot to make up for, and I couldn't very well do that holed up in my room. Besides, I still have to apologize to Shera for what I did to her."

Tifa smiled and put her arms around him. "My, you're getting tall," she said. "It's almost as if I blinked and suddenly you're becoming a man."

"I've still got a long way to go," he said sadly. "There are some promises I have to fulfill before I can truly call myself a man."

"Wes…" Reno began, knowing the intent behind the words. "Rufus Shinra has some of the best people searching for him. I promise, he will be brought to justice."

"I won't be comforted until I know that Gordon Manning cannot harm anybody ever again. Every minute that he is free, my anger and resentment grow stronger. The bastard killed my baby sister. I will not stand by and let that go unpunished. Besides, I told him so myself. I vowed that I would make him pay."

Tifa looked at Reno significantly. Reno didn't notice. His eyes were fixed on his son who'd visibly become angrier. His brow furrowed with worry and regret. And there was nothing he could say to make his son think any differently. It seemed his mind had already been made up. The only thing that reassured him was that he was confident Rufus would catch Manning before Wes had the chance to exact his vengeance. He had no doubt that his son would try.

"Let's not talk about this anymore," Reno demanded, putting his hand on his son's shoulder. "Let's just go downstairs and greet our guests. Okay?" Tifa and Wesley nodded.

------------

Vincent stood against the wall next to the fireplace. To Wesley, he looked very strange. It could've been because he was used to seeing him in his cape of dark crimson. Today he was in a suit, very similar to the type the Turks sport. Also, he'd abandoned his claw arm and his hair was out of his face. All in all…he looked very human. But his eyes refuted that notion. After all, you can change the appearance of a creature, but a beast is and will always be a beast.

There was something he did admire about Vincent Valentine. The stoic nature. You always had to guess what he was thinking, and even then, you were still left to wonder. He never gave himself away. Never let you inside his mind. He wondered how somebody as lively as Yuffie fell in love with a man so guarded. Even Veronica said she rarely knew what her father was feeling.

Did he feel? He must be able to. After all, he was extremely protective of his children, devoted to his wife, and detested her father. All of which required emotion. And yet, he was still so enigmatic. Wesley wished he could be more like him.

After a while, Vincent finally removed himself from where he stood and made his way over to Wesley. He sat beside him and folded his arms. "I noticed that you were sitting by yourself. I came to rectify that."

"I don't have anything else to say to anybody, that's all," he defended.

"Contemplating your life, then?" he asked, his voice still one-toned. "You're thinking too much about what happened. You are angry and bitter. If you continue to harbor it the way you've been doing, it will grow into something much worse. Hatred and an overpowered urge to seek vengeance. And in turn, even that grows into something else."

"What?"

He closed his eyes and smirked. "Chaos."

Wesley shook his head. "I don't understand."

"No. I wouldn't expect you to. After all, it was before you were born." Vincent opened his eyes and looked at him. "Your mother is worried about you."

"She told you that?" Wesley asked.

"No. You can just tell. She keeps glancing at you as if to make sure that you are all right. You are all right, aren't you?"

"I'm as well as you might expect."

"A simple no would suffice in that case."

"Vincent, I've known you all of my life. And yet, I've heard you say more today than I have in all days before this combined."

"I didn't have anything else to say to anybody, that's all." Wesley laughed. "You and I are more alike than you might realize. That's why I'm talking to you, Wesley. I see a lot of myself in you. The fortunate part about that is, you also have your mother and your father. In that way, I'm assured of your well being. That is, if you don't let the anger consume you."

"Vincent, I'd really love it if you'd start making sense."

"You're a smart boy, Wesley Cid Storm. You know exactly what I'm trying to tell you. Don't sacrifice your humanity in attempt to punish those who have wronged you. Be forgiving like your mother. Be resilient like your father. Don't be a monster…like me."


	20. First

**Tengoko: So, this is the final chapter. Kind of emotional. There is an implied lemon at the end, but nothing too graphic that I needed to mark off. Mostly the chapter sets up one of the coming installments, but not necessarily the next one. I'll say more about the third part of the Storm Series after the chapter's end. Well, I hope you all enjoy the final chapter, and hope that you continue reading stories from the Storm Series. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: ...(long sigh)  
Rated M for language and romance**

**Chapter 20: First**

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It was big as houses went. Tifa had fallen in love with it on first glance. Even Reno was taken by it. The large garden in front, complete with stone statues and a goldfish pond that included stepping stones that took you off towards a covered gazebo. The path that was shaded by gorgeous Sakura and lined with marble benches. And then there was the house itself.

Made in a traditional Pagoda style like most of the buildings in Wutai, it was two stories high and was white with burnt red roofing. It was breathtaking, and that was just on the outside. Inside was stunning. Polished hardwood floor, marvelous frescoes that seemed so out of place and yet, so right for the house. And it was so big, as mentioned before.

Even Wesley seemed to think so. And it seemed Tifa and Reno were waiting to hear as much from him. They were all, meaning his parents and realtor, staring down at him, waiting for his opinion.

Wesley looked up at his father first. In his arms he held the newest addition to the Storm family. Alyianna Aurora Storm. She was almost an exact image of Reno. Red hair, not long enough yet to do anything more than clip a small bow, and the mischievous glint in her eyes. But those weren't his. She'd inherited her mother's wine-colored eyes. Wesley then looked over towards his mother, who seemed unable to control her excitement. She wanted the house. So badly wanted to shout that out loud. Wesley could tell. And in the end, that's all that mattered. "Generally, I like it," he said.

"Very good," the realtor said, looking back towards Reno. "This really is a nice house to raise children in. Big, roomy, and the yard is incredible. It'd be anybody's ideal house, really."

"If you don't mind," he started politely, "I'd like to discuss a few things in private with my family, and then I'll let you know what my decision is."

The realtor nodded and ducked out of the room, sliding the door behind her. Reno turned towards Tifa and smiled. "Well?"

"I love it," she said happily. "Please say we're going to take it."

"It does seem a bit pricey," Reno said, making Tifa's shoulders fall. "But, I'm sure we can come to some kind of arrangement. And you like the house, Wes?" Wesley nodded. "And what about you, Aly. Do you like the house." He looked fondly at his daughter, and her response to the question was a very adorable giggle. "I guess that settles it," he said.

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Wesley stood at the window the overlooked Wutai. Behind him, Veronica and Victor were getting ready for bed, something he'd already done a few hours ago. But, he wasn't tired. He rarely ever got tired now. Sleep never came easy now. How could it considering what he's been through? And yet, it was regret or guilt that kept him up all night contemplating. It was the thought of revenge. A thought he knew he shouldn't be nurturing, but couldn't help.

He'd just gotten off the phone with a friend back from Midgar. Lucius had promised to keep an eye and ear out for anything that regarded Professor Manning. He was actively involved in it now too. He'd been fond of Lena Mae, had come to look at her as if she were his own sister. He took the news of her death rather personally, and was quick to inform his best friend that he'd do anything he could to help avenge her.

He'd just bide his time for now. When he was old enough to leave home, he'd return to Midgar and hunt him down. He prayed that Manning was still free by then. He wanted to be the one to find him, to punish him. He killed his sister. Brought pain and suffering to his family. Caused scars on Wesley that would never go away. Now, it was Wes' turn to return everything ten fold.

"Wes?"

He spun around to see Veronica standing a few feet behind him. She looked concerned, deeply concerned for that matter, and I annoyed him to no end. He was tired of people asking him if he was all right. And even as he stared into her burgundy eyes, he knew that it was coming.

"I'm fine, Ron," he said emphatically.

"Just making sure."

"Well, stop making sure," he snapped, turning his attention back to the scenery.

"What happened to you, Wes? You used to tell me everything. And now…"

"Things change, Ron. Now, I just want to be alone. Please, understand that and don't take it personally."

"But I don't understand," she said, moving closer to him. "We've always been close, Wes. I'd hate to lose that. Please, talk to me."

"What would you like me to say?" he asked, his voice low. "There is nothing left of me to offer. I don't have the energy to cultivate friendships at this point. Especially friends who can't identify with what I really am trying to undertake. And trust me, Ron, you and I are on completely different pages at this juncture in our lives. It'd be best that we just remain nothing more than acquaintances."

"Is that what you've told Lucius, and Viggo, and Kris?"

"In truth, I haven't spoken to Viggo or Kris since the episode. And Lucius is and will forevermore be my closest friend. Hell, the only thing stopping us from being brothers is the damned technicality of genes. But, don't even pretend you know me as well as Lucius does."

Veronica looked upset now. She crossed her arms and whipped her long, black hair behind her. "Well, if you're going to hate the world for what happened, there's nothing I can do about that! But there's no reason for you to be an ass-hole about it. Especially not to me."

With that, she stormed away, leaving her little brother to stare in bewilderment at Wesley. He was ignored.

He didn't hate the world. He was just at odds with it. The main reason was because Gordon Manning was still living in it. And while the man was still alive, he'd continue to be at odds with it.

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Tifa plopped down on the couch that she and Reno had just pushed to the center of their new living room. It was very comfortable for which she was very grateful. They'd been moving furniture in all day, and now she was just ready to relax. Damn, it felt good to get off of her feet.

Reno walked around and stared at her comically before taking a seat next to her. "We're almost completely finished," he said. "All that's left is painting, but I'll leave that to you."

"Why's that?"

"Well, tomorrow, I've got a meeting with Godo."

Tifa looked at him quizzically for a moment. "Whatever for?" she asked.

"Tifa, you know as well as I do that I need a job or we won't be living in this house for very long. And Godo's offered to set me up. How could I possibly refuse. After all, working for Godo means that I won't have to pay any gil for this house. It'll all be covered."

"Fine. But if you tell me that Godo's planning on setting you up as some kind of law enforcer or political envoy, I'll kill you right now."

"All right," he shrugged. "Then I just won't tell you." He laughed once she began hitting him, and then he caught her wrists and pinned them down. "Wow," he mused. "This brings back memories, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. It's a shame you don't have any rope," she laughed. "Reno, I have a confession to make."

"What's that?" he asked, kissing her cheek.

"That day, when I had tricked you into kissing me…that's when I first fell in love with you."

Reno remembered that day all too well. He'd tied her to the bed to keep her from escaping so he could deliver her to the President for questioning. And Reno, being a sucker for a pretty face, or for Tifa as the case happened to be, fell for her seductive pleas. Unfortunately, or fortunately now that he thought about it, she'd knocked him unconscious which triggered a series of events that led up to now.

"You almost died that day, if I recall correctly."

"Yes, but you braved the perils of Junon Harbor to come to my rescue. And that only made me more certain that I loved you." She paused, smiled, kissed the tip of his nose, and then asked, "when did you know?"

"Guess," he teased.

"When I fell from the tower?" she asked. He shook his head. "That first kiss?" He shook it again. "Well, I don't know, babe," she admitted. "Tell me."

"I fell for the first time I saw you. It was before the whole Sephiroth charade. I was having drinks with Rude and you were there. And at the time, I knew I couldn't have you. That made me more mad than anything in the world."

"If you loved me then, why did you fight me?"

"Because I was mad at you," he said simply.

"For going against Shin-Ra?" she asked defensively.

"No. For being out of my league." She was about to say something else, but Reno put a finger to her lips and said, "Babe, you talk too much sometimes." He could tell she was about to get angry for that, so he moved his finger and replaced it with his lips. The anger dissipated at once.

Instinctively, she parted her lips and allowed his tongue access to dominate her mouth. He buried his hands in her chocolate colored hair and deepened the kiss, covering her body with his. He broke the kiss to ask, "while we are remembering things from out past, do you remember the first time we made love?"

"No," she said, still smiling. " 'Cause every time is so intoxicating, that it feels like the first time."

Reno chuckled at that and slid his hand behind her back. He kissed her again, and again, and again. Each time different than the time before. And then the night came. Falling upon Wutai, blanketing it in it's beautiful darkness. And then the wind came. Howling against the window, beating relentlessly as though trying to enter, to join in the passion. And Tifa came. Again and again. Each time…like the first.  
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**Tengoko: Well, what do you think. I rather like the ending. Inspired by Johanna Lindsey. I give credit where credit is due. Anyway, the next part of the Storm Series will be call _Transcending Chaos. _Two guesses as to who this story's going to be about cough, coughvincentandyuffiecough, cough. It's almost like a prequel to Moving the Unmoveable. Well, it is like a prequel. I hope you all will check it out once it's posted. Thanks to all who've reviewed this story. I'd still love to hear from you. It really does make my day to get them.**  
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